Alaska
by runaway xo
Summary: Sequel to THE WEDDING, Edward and Bella now find themselves in their new home in Alaska, does constant trouble demand to follow Bella like a steely shadow?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO THE WEDDING. Are you excited? I know I am. I love writing these stories and I hope you like reading them! See my page if you haven't read The Wedding yet to get caught up, though it's not necesary, I think you'll get the idea. Well R&R and let me know if i should keep this going. Well, here goes nothing ... **

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"Bella will you please put the coat on?" 

"I'm n-n-not cold Ed-w-ward," I bit down on my chapped lips trying to stop my trembling jaw.

Edward sighed and dropped my hand. "W-w-what are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm not holding your hand if you don't put on the coat, my skin is only making you colder. "

"Fine," I grumbled, my hand shaking as I took the coat from him. I stumbled in my attempt to walk and put on clothes at the same time so Edward helped me as I shoved my arms through the holes, silently thanking him as the wool warmed my neck. I clasped his hand back in my own and we continued on towards our new house.

Alaska was like a big white sheet of paper, everything seemed blank and untouched. If this wasn't the total opposite of Forks, I don't know what was, and though the sun rarely exposed itself in Forks, the sun in Alaska seemed to be further away, dull and distant somehow.

"Edward are we almost there?" I asked him as my feet left soft footprints in the snow.

"Almost," he chuckled, kissing my hand, "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to carry you, we would get there much faster."

"I'm perfectly capable of walking thank you," I said through clenched teeth, trying to conceal the next shiver that rushed down my spine.

Edward smiled and placed a long white finger on my wind blown red cheek.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, "It's just going to take me a while to get used to this."

He nodded, that breathtaking crooked smile lighting up his face, his skin glittered like a diamond as the little rays of sun that there were, reflected off the white snow. Was it possible for him to be even more beautiful in a different state? I tried to concentrate on his face rather then the many good byes I had just given, and the people I had left behind. But I knew it was worth it, if I had to move to Alaska to be with Edward and start my new vampire life, then that was exactly what I was planning to do.

"There it is Bella," Edward bent down to rest his chin on my shoulder, his cold cheek against mine.

I saw it, our new home, definitely not as extravagant as Edward would have liked, but I had put down my limit on the cost a long time ago. The house was a dark brown color that reflected deeply off the white snow and it had green shudders which I noticed right away because they displayed Fork's signature color. There was a porch that wrapped around the entire house, and on it was a rocking chair that seemed to be stuck in place, like time had literally frozen. I turned my head to kiss Edwards cheek.

He chuckled, "Does that mean you like it?"

"I love it," I smiled.

"It has stairs," he warned.

I took a deep breath, my lungs burning from the arctic air, "I think I'll survive."

Edward laughed and took my hand as we trudged through the snow. A few more months and Edward's Volvo would come with the rest of his family as the warm season came, I had a strange feeling that Alaska's _warm_ season wasn't going to be to warm, but by then I'll have nothing to worry about because my skin will be just as cold as Edwards.

I made it to the porch in one piece. I was just about to walk up the stairs when I was swiped into Edward's arms, "Allow me, "he smiled.

I giggled as he carried me through the thick wooden door frame as if it was the night of our wedding and I was being carried over the threshold. Edward closed the door behind us and stopped a moment to let me take everything in.

"Oh," I gasped as I realized the interior was fully furnished. A gold carpet runner ran down the entrance way to a hallway. Edward carried me in the living room and set me on a long black couch.

"Wait here," he smiled. My heart skipped a beat as his breath caressed my face, he grinned at the sound of my misbehaving heart and was gone in an eye blink. I removed my boots gently, not wanting to soak the new carpet, and took off my layers of coats and jackets until I was left in a long sleeve t-shirt and thick sweatpants which much to my dismay, were designer, thanks to Alice.

My eyes skimmed around the room as I noticed a small television, a massive stone fireplace, and wooden coffee table that had smooth, rounded edges. I sighed, I knew Alice had told Edward to "Bella-proof" things but I didn't think he would take her seriously.

Just then, Edward was back inches from my face, I yelped softly, scolding myself immediately, I should probably be used to that by now.

"I missed you," he whispered, yet another smile on his gorgeous face.

"Missed you more," I smiled coiling my arms around his neck.

He laughed and cradled me into his arms, holding me up higher so that he could press his lips to my forehead. He carried me up a flight of stairs, I didn't see where we were going because my eyes were closed as he had instructed on the way up.

He walked down what I assumed to be a hallway and then stopped.

"Can I open my eyes now?" I wondered anxiously.

"Yes you can."

I opened my eyes and I felt my jaw fall so far that I wondered briefly if it was still attached to my face. I knew that if I couldn't still feel the numbness in my feet, or the odd hot cold feeling on my cheeks, I would honestly mistake myself as being in Forks. The room was an exact replica of the bedroom Edward and I had just left behind. I stiffly walked over to the large bed with the golden comforter and twisted flowers along the bed post, trailing my fingers along it as to determine if my mind was playing tricks on me. Another thing, I realized, that would have made me believe we weren't in Forks anymore was the scene from this glass wall. Images of green and gray were now replaced with a never endless pane of white.

Edward came from behind me and climbed onto the bed, leaning against the bedpost, I nuzzled my body to shape into his stone chest as we gazed out into the wonderland before us.

"So, dearest wife, what shall we do first in our new humble abode," I turned my head in his direction to see Edward grinning at me jokingly. I decided to play along.

I twisted in his hold around my waist so that I could curl my arms around his neck. "I don't know my loving husband what do you suggest?"

"Well," he smiled, "We could do this," he kissed my lips, "Or this," he whispered, pressing his lips gently to mine, "Or this," he kissed them once more.

When he pulled away, I giggled, "What were my options again?"

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**It's short, I know, sorry! Next Chapter up soon! **

**So... reviews would be greatly appreciated! Hah, I get super nervous when I don't get feedback :x Thank you! **


	2. Chapter 2

My eye lids lazily fluttered open and I briefly thought that I was in Forks. The room looked identical and if I was careful enough to keep my gaze away from the window maybe it would be like I never left. I could hear my heart speed up as I thought of the possibility of recreating forks in my little Alaskan house.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked me, anxiously soothing my cheek with his thumb.

"I'm fine, I just forgot where I was for a moment," I answered pulling the comforter up higher around my neck, geez this house was cold.

"I'm going to go start a fire in the fireplace," he said, kissing my cheek, as if he could read my thoughts. As he left the room, I noticed something hanging on the door that had swung open in his speed. I flipped off the covers, a constant quaking rocketed down my spine from the cold as I stumbled over to the big wooden door. An engraved sign hung on the thick wooden door, I gawked at it as I traced my fingers around the letters, _Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, _written in neat caligraphy, that made it look important and royal somehow.

As I stood there staring at the letters, I had a flashback to the day in the cafeteria at my first day at Forks High School. I remember seeing and hearing about the Cullens for the first time, and then my ackward encounter with Edward had made my stomach twist into knots everytime I heard that last name, I now it was my last name.

If someone had told me that first day of school, pointed Edward out and told me that we would one day fall in love and get married and move to Alaska so I could join his vampire family, I would probably point them in the direction of the nearest mental hospital. Yet here I was, staring at a sign that read, _Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, _and it was referring to me. I got that familiar sensation of butterflys in my stomach and could hear myself involutarily sighing with happiness.

"Do you like it?" I turned around and looked at Edwards sheepish grin.

I turned back and traced my finger through _Cullen _again. "It's perfect," I smiled. I hadn't even noticed that my entire body was covered with goosebumps until Edward ran is fingers down my arms and grimaced.

I sighed, "You're going to run me down stairs and make me sit infront of the fire aren't you."

He chuckled, "I thought I was the mind reader."

"I know you too well."

He pulled me suddenly to his chest, his breath tingling my cheek, "Oh really?" He whispered.

I gulped.

He laughed loudly, as he swept me into his stone arms and rocketed down stairs, just as I had expected. Before he put me down he kissed me with his icy lips, my head was spinning from the mixture of speed and the lose of breath.

When he put me down, I was magically covered in a moutain of blankets, my head popping out from the peak, topped off with a red snow hat. "Show off," I muttered, I meant for it to sound _more _like a mutter but I was still fighting for air so it came out in little gasps. I hiccuped once and then buried my head in the moutain of blankets, my face surely scarlett red, matching the hat.

I heard Edwards soft musical laughter and then he was beside me, his finger stroking my jawbone made me shiver as my skin was beginning to warm from the fire. He noticed this and pulled away. "I never knew it was possible for you to be _more _fragile," he whispered, "but I guess it differs, based on what state you're in."

I grimaced, and he answered with a crooked smile.

Suddenly Edward's face froze as if he was concentrating really hard, and then almost abruptly, his expression looked mad, or fusterated somehow.

"Edward, whats--,"

He growled something under his breath that I didn't quite catch.

"Edward—"

He sighed, "Wait here Bella," he told me as he rose fluently to his feet and headed towards the door.

What was at the door? I tried to crane my neck so I could see what was going on, but in the attempt I almost fell over and demolished my moutain of blankets.

I could hear the door open and then click close. Then I could hear words being spoken so fast, and in a whisper, that it positivley sounded like music. And I was sure it was more then one voice, Edward and… I stopped short my face locked in place as I realized there was another vampire in the house. It was not one of the Cullens, that I knew for sure, I would recongize their voice. I strained my ears to pick up a word or two in their expeditious conversation, but failed miserably.

It seemed like a heartbeat later when Edward was back with our visitor. I could probably time it like that considering it felt like my heart was in my ear, beating deafeningly. The vampire infront of me was stunning beyond description. Her beauty wasn't even a match for Rosalie's, which was saying alot. She had blonde hair that feel over shoulders, cascading into a glossy mass of blonde curls, and, of course, pallid white skin that looked breakable to the touch. Her eyes were hyponotizing, they were gold, just like the rest of the Cullens, but they seemed to fade out to black at the edges. Her entire appearance amazed me, I forgot to breath as I gawked at the her, my appearnce, was most definatley painful to look at, but I had forgotten.

The girl giggled when she realized I was staring at her, eyes wide.

"Bella," Edward interrupted, a guilty and fearful look in his smoldering golden eyes as he measured my expression, "This is Tanya," he gestured towards the lovely girl, "Tanya, this is Bella."

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**Was that a cliffhanger? My bad :)** **Hah I'm sorry, really I am!**

**Please review, next chapter up soon, I promise! **


	3. Chapter 3

As I stared at Tanya, a million thoughts rushed through my head, which undoubtedly, also displayed on my face. Tanya was part of the vampire clan here in Alaska, the clan Edward had escaped to when I had first made my presence in Forks a hazard to my own health. Tanya's clan was the one Laurent had fled to in order to bypass confrontation with the Cullens when James, his clan leader, had ultimately planned on killing me. Tanya was also the one who had shown _preference_to Edward when he lived there, before he had met me. I was sure my expression set somewhere between anger and fear as I stared at this vampire who exceeded my beauty by light years.

"Hello Bella, it's nice to meet you, I've heard so many great things about you," Tanya smiled, darn, it was a lot harder to hate her when she was nice. When I didn't answer she began to look at me strangely.

It was then that I noticed, my cheeks flaming red, that I was still under a pile of blankets. I threw them off quickly and scrambled up to be polite. I was never very good at scrambling, I was half way between a walk and a crawl when my foot got caught on the edge of the "Bella-proof" coffee table. I had been so close to the ground to begin with that even Edward didn't have time to save me as I sprawled across the golden rug.

"Oh Bella, are you okay?" I heard Tanya ask, her voice sounded concerned.

Edwards stone arms curled around my waist as he lifted me up, and held me in his arms.

"Bella, are you hurt?" Edward asked anxiously.

My face must have looked like a fire truck as Edward over reacted to my fall.

"I'm fine," I growled, embarrassed.

Edward grimaced and set me on my feet and held my waist as we walked over to Tanya.

"Carlisle wasn't kidding when he said she was a handful," Tanya laughed, her laughter like soft elevator music.

I blushed so hard I was undeniably living the rest of my life with red stained cheeks.

"She smells just as good as you had described too," Tanya added, smiling at me fondly.

A muted growl ripped from Edwards chest as he crouched in front of me.

"Oh don't be ridiculous Edward," she rolled her eyes, obviously insulted.

Edward relaxed slightly but kept himself between Tanya and me. "Why are you here?," he asked almost rudely.

"I came to say congratulations on your marriage and your new house!" she exclaimed her eyes brightening at the subject change, "And I'm terribly sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding, but you see, we have a new member to our family and—"

"Understood," Edward interrupted her. "And thanks," he said politely.

"Your welcome," she said, exposing two rows of white teeth, "Oh and I was wondering if maybe you and Bella would like to come over to our house, a welcome to town sort of thing."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Edward said quickly.

"Why?" I spoke for the first time from behind him. It wasn't that I _wanted _to go to Tanya's house or anything, but I was curious upon why Edward said no. Did he think I would make a fool out of myself? Was he embarrassed that I knew about Tanya's past liking to him and was trying to save himself some embarrassment? Or was he just now realizing that he had left my big plastic bubble at home, the one that protected me from the outside world that seemed to onslaught me every chance it got.

I hadn't realized that Edward was staring at me questionably for a while until the silence became uncomfortable. "Why Edward?" I repeated.

He turned his attention back to Tanya, "I don't think it would be in our best interest to have your newborn in the same room as Bella."

"Of course not Edward," she answered, her expression seemed a little hurt, "It's like you don't know me at all. Of course I planned a hunting trip for Deanna early this morning. She's not expected back until late tonight."

Edward couldn't argue with that so he turned his back to Tanya and looked at me. "Are you sure you're okay with going Bella?"

I nodded my head unsurely. I was suddenly uncertain about his thoughts behind the matter. Was it the newborn he was worried about or was he afraid Tanya's preference towards him was still strong?

"Come on it will be fun," Tanya smiled from behind Edward, she looked like a girl from a toothpaste ad when she smiled. My face fell as I looked between her face and Edwards. Her beauty was worthy enough to stand next to Edward… no I didn't want to think like that… but I couldn't stop.

Edward sighed and turned to face Tanya. "Bella still needs to eat breakfast, so we'll stop by when she's finished," Edwards voice was icy as his eyes narrowed and he stared at the stunning girl, and something about that picture just didn't look right. The way his eyes smoldered wasn't dazzling as usual, he looked malicious.

Tanya didn't seem to notice the hostility in Edwards glare, or maybe she didn't really care.

"Silly me," she giggled rolling her eyes, "I forgot that you humans need to eat. When Bella's fed, of course."

Edward didn't say goodbye to her as he grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen. In Edward's haste I peered over my shoulder to see Tanya's reaction. She caught my eye and grinned hugely and waved.

When we turned the corner, into the kitchen, I reached for Edward's other hand and made him stop. "Edward why did you—" he cut me off by pressing his lips, almost roughly, against my own. When he finally pulled away my lungs burned trying to catch my breath.

"Sorry," he chuckled smiling crookedly.

"What's wrong," I demanded.

"Can I not kiss you?" he asked innocently.

"You know what I mean."

He looked like he was about to answer me, when my stomach betrayed me and growled. He smiled and I grimaced.

"Go ahead," I sighed, "Overreact and demand I eat breakfast before you explain anything."

He laughed and linked his arm around my waist, "Maybe you're right, you _do _know me too well, but concerning anything that needs explaining, well I have no idea what you're talking about." He kissed the tip of my nose before letting me sink into a kitchen chair.

I hadn't noticed the kitchen yesterday, had I even seen the kitchen? The walls were a soft yellow on the walls and the counter top was a speckled mix of browns and golds.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Edward asked me, smiling as he headed towards the refrigerator.

"Now you're just trying to distract me," I complained.

"Is it working?"

I didn't answer him as I headed for a cabinet, hoping to find a box of cereal . I opened three cabinets in a mad rush before wiping around to face Edward, "What the hell is this?"

"What's wrong Bella?"

"This food, it's gourmet and expensive, and there's a lot of it," I sputtered, probably not making sense.

"I don't understand the problem Bella," Edward answered walking anxiously towards me, concern outlining his crumpled forehead.

"Why is there so much food, I'm not going to eat this all, I won't be human for that long," Edward stopped mid stride to stare at me indecorously. I assumed that he had stopped because of what I had said but then I felt it, the water cascading down my cheeks.

"Bella, you're crying," he stated, appalled.

I wiped my arm angrily along me face, rubbing my cheek until it started to become raw. I was suddenly against Edwards chest as he pulled my arm away from my cheek. "I'm fine," I whispered.

"Bella," he breathed into my hair, "Tell me why you're crying."

I sniffled against his shirt, "Not until you tell me why you reacted to Tanya like that."

He sighed, "Fine but first," he blurred past my eyes and was suddenly still with two boxes in his hands and he smiled sheepishly at me, "Egg's on a cloud or sweet strawberry drizzled waffle squares?"

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**Wow. I have nothing to say for once, you're all lucky :) hah. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far! Next chapter up soon, review please ! **


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Edward allowed me to stop eating, my stomach was expanding painfully.

"Are you full?" he asked me.

"Full, would be understatement," I groaned as I pushed the sticky plate away.

He laughed and scooted his chair closer to me so that he could lift my chin with the tip of his finger, "Now will you explain to me why you were crying?"

I shook my head softly, "You first."

He grimaced. "That's hardly fair."

"Its completely fair," I disagreed.

We glared at each other for a long moment, a plummet of icy air spun noisily outside the kitchen window. I looked past Edward to watch as the crystals licked the glass, beyond them was nothing, no trees or houses, just a lonely white void.

"You miss Forks," Edward stated suddenly, analyzing my face questionably.

"No, that's not it," I whispered.

He waited, his hand squeezing mine, encouraging me to go on. I looked down at our intertwined hands, running my fingers through the creases in his palm.

"It's just… you had all the food in the cabinets…and Tanya…" I didn't finish my sentence, my blush making me lower my head more.

"You don't like Tanya," he said flatly.

"Not that I don't like her, _personally _but she's beautiful, and I'm… " I let my sentence hang in the air for a moment, "and I know she's shown affection to you in the past…" I let my sentence trail off again, my cheeks flaming.

Edward surprised me by laughing softly.

"It's not funny," I snapped looking up at him.

"I'm not laughing at _you_, Bella, I'm laughing at the fact that you could ever even _think_ of comparing yourself to Tanya in anyway."

"Edward, I saw her, with my own eyes, she's gorgeous!"

I was suddenly cradled in Edward's arms and his mouth was next to my ear, "I have eyes too, and what I saw was the most incredibly stunning, gorgeous, beautiful girl, standing in a room with two average looking vampires."

I laughed, the idea of myself being more beautiful then Tanya was implausible, but the idea of being more beautiful then Edward, now _that_ was mind-boggling.

"See," he grinned at my laughter.

"I'm laughing because it's ridiculous!"

"It's not ridiculous, it's the truth, I promise you Bella, you are the most gorgeous creature I have ever laid eyes on in seventy years."

I blushed all the way up to my forehead and concentrated on the creases in his palm again. He kissed my cheek, and I held my hand to his face. "You still have to explain your reaction to Tanya," I reminded him. He seemed to stiffen, and then sighed.

"I was rude to her, wasn't I?"

"Yes you were, but she didn't seem to notice, or care."

Edward hesitated and stared into my eyes has if he was lost, and could find the way home through my eyes.

"Bella, I hadn't told you this before because I thought it wouldn't matter," he looked down, his eyes narrowed at the honey colored floor, "but I don't want Tanya to say anything that may upset you," I listened carefully to his velvet voice, what was he saying? He almost seemed at a lose for words. "Because I'm sure she will," he muttered, looking at me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, his face looked like he was struggling, I traced my finger along the lines creased into his stone forehead.

"Bella, there's something that happened between me and Tanya that I think you should know."

Those words made me stop, my heart didn't go wild in my chest, and my head didn't start pounding, I just froze. Nothing moved and it was like time had stopped. Every molecule in my body felt like it had been burned, but was yet to feel the pain. I don't know what happened next, maybe I passed out… maybe I died… I wasn't really sure, but I suddenly saw nothing but a bright light, and my head was spinning sickeningly.

"Bella! No Bella, please." I couldn't totally rule out heaven when I heard his voice for I knew if heaven was were I was, he would be there too.

"Bella, I'm sorry!"

My eyelids flickered open and it took a while for Edwards face to become still in front my eyes.

"Bella," he whispered smoothing his thumb under my eyes, was I crying again?

"Tanya?" was all I could gasp.

I don't know why, but at that moment I felt the hole. The ugly black one that ripped through my body, the one I had learned to grow unfamiliar with, yet now it ached in my side. I could feel my body trembling as I stared searchingly at Edward, knowing that his words could crush me if said correctly.

"Bella, you didn't let me finish," he sighed, his face miserable as he watched my face. "What happened between me and Tanya was far from my control –"

"Edward stop," I shook my head quickly biting my lip, I could feel my insides disintegrating, I was fully aware that I was over reacting, yet I couldn't stop. I wrapped my arms around my torso, my breathing not fully intact yet.

"Bella, Tanya's clan arranged for Tanya and I to get married, they set it up and told me the day before, though Tanya was aware the entire time," he sighed frustrated, remembering something. "That's why I left Alaska in the first place Bella, the reason my family and I moved to Forks. We left that night."

I couldn't speak, or turn my head away from his intense face.

Edward gritted his teeth trying to make in unnoticeable, I frequently forgot how hard it was for him when I didn't voice my thoughts.

"You and… Tanya," I squeaked.

"Bella, I have never loved another --" he sighed, "I was about to say another person, but that would be incorrect. Never have I loved _anything_, more then I love you."

"But Tanya!"

His expression suddenly changed, it was frustration and rage, "Tanya is nothing, she doesn't matter and she never will, _you _matter Bella, can't you see that? Tanya asked her clan to arrange the wedding and kept it a secret from me. I must not have been concentrating on her thoughts hard enough," he murmured shaking his head.

"Why are you so sure Tanya will bring it up?" I asked him after a long uncomfortable silence, my voice cracking.

Edwards face contorted helplessly, whatever he was about to tell me, I'm sure he'd rather not. I could feel the hole again, rippling around the edges.

"Bella, she still wears the ring."

"Oh," I whispered, as the hole expanded through me entirely, sucking in my body, shattering me to pieces, and I disinergrated into it's dark void.

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**R-R-REVIEWS PLEASE.** **Lord, adding this chapter makes me super nervous, though I don't know why. Thank you readers ! **


	5. Chapter 5

When I woke up as I was under the yielding golden comforter, unaware of how I got there. My head felt heavy as I tried to raise it, so I sank into the mattress, my body melting into the white sheets. I turned my head slightly, and realized my face was inches away from Edwards, I jumped, I hadn't even known he was there, was he even breathing?

Neither one of us said anything as my heart worked hard to maintain a steady rhythm.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice so deep and intense my heart started up all over again. I had a feeling he was sorry for much more then frightening me.

"Did I faint?" I asked groggily, squinting my eyes as the sun passed a cloud outside, sending a flicker of light through the glass wall.

He pressed his lips together into a grimace and decided to ignore my question. "I'm sorry, Bella, It was so foolish to tell you that now, I should have told you earlier, before the wedding, before coming here."

"Yes you should have," I whispered.

"Bella I'm never keeping anything from you again. It was childish thinking I could just bury it in my past, leave it unnoticed, had I known this would catch up to me and she would be here, wearing a ring on her finger that I didn't even buy," his teeth clenched together and he looked at me, but I know it wasn't me he was seeing. He opened his mouth to speak, gawking my expression, he was speechless, his expression despondent. "I love you Bella," he stuttered, I gazed at him in confusion, Edward stuttering? His voice for once did not sound velvet or like music, for once, it sounded human, "I love you, and I hate that my words hurt you."

"I forgive you," I breathed, reminding myself to breath as his eyes burned into mine, It felt like he could see through my body and into my heart, my soul.

He wrapped his arms around me and crushed me gently into his stone chest. The time ticked by, but I knew that if I had a choice, I would stay where I was, forever.

I positively did not want to be the one to bring this up, but my curiosity got the better of me. " Are you we still going to Tanya's house?" I whispered, keeping my forehead against his chest as I intertwined my fingers nervously.

"Not if it makes you uncomfortable," he responded into my hair.

I scowled at the topaz colored comforter as I twisted my ring three times around my finger. I stopped when I remembered Tanya had a ring too.

Edward pulled his chest away from my forehead and tilted my chin up with his finger tip, confusion colored his face, I assumed he had heard the stutter in my heart.

I ignored his expression, "If we don't go now she'll just keep coming over," I muttered, inverting my eyes from his concerned face.

"Bella, I can deal with Tanya, I'm not going to drag you over there just because you think you have to."

"No Edward, I want to go," I lied.

"No you don't." I looked up to his expression, he was smiling crookedly, he knew when I was lying.

"Well I'm going anyway, and you can't stop me," I smirked threateningly.

His eyes widened and then narrowed playfully, "Would you like to bet on that."

I didn't answer him as I sprang up from the bed, I ran to the door and looked back to see if he had followed me. He was coming across the room walking super slow, his footsteps exaggerated as if he was a marathon runner set in slow motion. I ran back to the bed and threw a pillow at him angrily, of which he swiped from the air with one swift flick of his wrist, "That's not funny," I growled.

He chuckled, and then began a brisk human walk to the door. I sprinted in front of him and ran straight for the stairs. I should have taken Edward's warning earlier about the stairs, more seriously because as soon as I was about to step down, I tripped over something – probably my own foot or the air – and opened my eyes wide in shock as my face froze inches away from a sharp looking step.

"Still sure you want to make that bet," Edward asked smugly as he swung me smoothly into his arms.

I still couldn't breath so I shook my head hazily. He chuckled and kissed me gently.

"We're still going Edward," I told him when he pulled away.

He frowned, "Why Bella?"

"Because I'm getting it over with. If I'm living in the same state as her I might as well pretend to like her. "

Edward sighed, his expression undecided.

"She is a vampire after all," I mused, " I hear they have tempers." I smirked as he decided on whether to grimace or laugh.

I jumped from his arms and reached up on my tiptoes to press my lips to his. When I pulled away from lack of air he smiled.

"And you're sure you want to go spend time with a vampire who obviously has rejection issues, just because you have been forced into moving to Alaska so I could take away your soul and turn you into a monster like myself?" He smiled crookedly but I could sense that he was serious beneath his teasing.

"If all of those things require you to never leave my side, absolutely."

"Nothing in the world will ever require me to leave your side," he rolled his eyes.

"Then this is a wonderful world," I smiled.

He grinned back, his eyes swirling lighter in front of my eyes.

A moment passed and I sighed. "Let's go," I tried to be enthusiastic, I don't think I fooled him. I started towards the stairs when he grabbed my waist.

"Allow me," he murmured scooping me up.

I grimaced, "I can walk," I muttered.

"Without tripping?"

I pressed my lips together, ignoring him.

He chuckled as he put me gently to my feet.

"Off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz," I murmured to myself.

He laughed and tousled my hair, "What, are you a munchkin now?"

"More like a fly, and Tanya's the spider."

He froze, solid and unmoving. I sighed, "Come on," and he let me pull his rigid body out into the unmoving arctic air.

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**Sorry this is taking so long, it's going to move faster from this point, I promise! Review please :)**


	6. Chapter 6

I remember when I was younger and would play Candy Land with Renee, and I would always make a wish before I flipped over the card, hoping I would get Queen Frostine, because then I would get a castle. But I would always end up getting some ridiculous character like Plumpy or Lord Licorice. Well as Edward and I meandered down the frost covered driveway, I had finally received my castle.

"This is her _house_?" I gasped.

Edward chuckled at my expression.

"It's huge."

"Tanya likes her space," Edward sighed as we stopped to gaze at the mansion before us.

"How many vampires live here?"

"They always had less then Carlisle, but now with myself gone and the addition to theirs, they probably have more," he lifted my hand to kiss my wrist, inhaling as he did.

I tried not gulp, and control my heart but Edward didn't miss a thing.

"Bella we can go back home if you want," he whispered.

My skin flushed when he said the word 'home,' it could mean so many different things. It could mean my small Phoenix Arizona home where I lived most of my life with my exotic mother, it could mean Charlie's house back in the rainy green town of Forks Washington, it could mean the Cullen's house set back with a long driveway and dense forest, or it could mean my current address in Denali Alaska.

Edward watched my face as the many emotions swept through my body like a breath of wind.

"Bella I'm taking you back," he decided finally.

"No, Edward, I'm fine, I already told you, I'm doing this."

"You are without a doubt the most stubborn human I have ever met," he grimaced.

I grinned and proceeded towards the mansion.

My hand had barely skimmed the doorbell when the large door flew open sending a gust of air to raise the tips of my hair.

"Bella," Tanya gushed as if my arrival was a surprise.

I could feel Edward's body nudge slightly forward so that he was still a fraction of an inch between Tanya and me.

"Edward," Tanya nodded to him, a flirtatious smile on her face. I could feel my hands tighten into fists at my side.

"Tanya," he nodded flatly back. I had not yet added to our awkward one worded conversation because I could feel my eyes straining, trying to see the ring on her finger.

"Well come in," she smiled, "Make yourself at home." She opened the door wider as the interior of the mansion startled my eyes. I know that if I ever pictured the inside of the King of England's castle, this is how it would look.

I could feel Edwards icy palm settle into mine as we walked onto the rich cherry wood floors.

"The others all went hunting with Deana," she smiled, "so we have the whole house to ourselves." Was it just me or did her honey tainted eyes glance up at Edward when she said that. I shook my head softly, surely I was just freaking myself out.

Tanya led us into a massive room, the walls were bookshelves, stacked fifteen feet high. I breath caught in my throat at the view, and Edward smiled and squeezed my hand.

"This is the library," Tanya smiled proudly, sauntering towards two large sofas, a large glass coffee table in between.

Tanya sat on one sofa and Edward and I sat across from her, Edwards arm curled around my waist. I could feel Tanya's eyes burn into me as she looked me over, a smile on her porcelain face.

My eyes tried once more to search for even the tiniest catch of light from a ring, but her right hand was placed neatly over her left.

"I've made us some tea," she announced proudly after she had disappeared and returned in an eye blink, a tray containing one cup in her hand.

"Thank you," I whispered, struggling to find my voice. She giggled happily as she watched me sip in warily.

"I got the recipe off the internet."

It was hot and tasted bitter but I smiled carefully as I placed the cup on a nearby coaster.

"So," she squealed, looking at me, "how was the wedding, tell me _everything._"

"The wedding," I replied suddenly nervous.

She nodded, her grin so white it probably glowed in the dark.

I quickly set my thoughts on the second wedding Edward had given me. The one that took place in his backyard, I could still see the gentle trail of white rose petals when I closed my eyes, and I could feel his lips, icy against the warm skin of my throat.

"It was perfect," I breathed, catching Tanya off guard.

"Perfect?" she asked suspiciously.

"Mhmm," I nodded, frightened at the sharpness of her voice.

"Oh well, Bella, that's great," she smiled, her lies were much more believable then mine, but she still held that twinge of anger in her voice.

"It's too bad you couldn't make it," I sighed, slowly gaining confidence.

"Yeah, too bad." Her smile was tight.

I felt Edwards arm hitch around the back of the chair as he absentmindedly twirled and un-twirled a strand of hair at the back of my neck.

"How are you two liking Alaska so far?"

I sighed, "It's very… white," I said honestly.

Edward chuckled beside me, "That's the same thing you said about Forks Bella, 'Too green,'" he quoted.

"Well it's true," I mumbled glancing out the window at the on going sheets of ice.

"You'll get used to it," Tanya said.

What they didn't understand was the I would have never learned to like Forks if it wasn't for Edward. I could look past the green and rain and any other ghastly qualities of Forks because I knew that it was the little town that had led me to most wonderful creature I could never even imagine of being with. The cold and white state of Alaska held nothing except Tanya, and like it, she was just as icy.

Edwards cold finger grazed the back of my neck and I shivered.

"Are you cold Bella?" Tanya asked innocently.

"No I'm fine," I assured her.

The moments grew more and more awkward as we ran out of subjects worth talking about. Topics that my insides burned to ask, were those of which would never be spoken

Suddenly I felt Edward cell phone vibrate in his pocket. I exhaled happily, grateful for the interruption. Tanya was certainly frightening to talk to. Her eyes bulged out of her eyes when she asked me a question, sitting on the edge of her seat, like my answer was vital to her life. It reminded me somewhat of how Edward had acted, the first time he began questioning me, each answer I gave him was a key, each key opening up some kind of door. Though, the way Tanya questioned me, was more nerve racking, making me uneasy as each answer I gave her she peered at Edward quickly. Edward always ignored her, either watching the snow outside as it swirled in numerous miniature tornados, or looking down at my hand as he smoothed his thumb in circles around my palm.

"Alice," Edward said quietly as he brought the wivering phone up to his ear.

I could hear a tsunami of words pouring out of the receiver, too fast for me to understand, I tensed at the fear in Alice's rushed words.

What was too slow for my human ears to pick up, Edward did.

"Alice, calm down," he sighed.

I could hear her talk slower, emphasizing something. Edward's body beside me was suddenly like a thousand year old statue, his entire body and expression froze in some kind of fear.

"No," he whispered to himself, " Alice are you positive?"

His grip around my hand tighten and it could feel it numb in protest as he became silent, listening to another rush of Alice's words.

"Alice you've been wrong before," he reminded her, his eyes boring intensely into mine.

His expression became tortured and I realized I wasn't breathing.

"I'm coming," he whispered finally.

He snapped the phone shut and let it fall into his lap.

He never took his eyes off me, my heart was hammering in my chest and I was sure it was the only sound in the entire mansion.

"Edward?"

"I have to go Bella," he said calmly, "You're staying here with Tanya for a few nights," he nodded, as if trying to convince himself of something.

"What?" I squeaked, unable to make logical sense of his words.

"I love you Bella, I have to go," He stood up and I grabbed his wrist, and held on as tightly as I could, my teeth clenching at the strength.

"Bella," he pleaded, "I don't have time."

I dropped his wrist and let my mouth gape open as the night he left me in the woods flooded back to me like a broken damn.

"No, Bella," he breathed as he realized what he had done, "I'm not leaving you, I promise, I swear, but you have to let me go or they'll come here." The fear in his voice made my skin crawl with my own added fear.

"Who's they," I cried in frustration, "Who's coming here?"

He began to back away as he looked out the window quickly, his arm outstretched towards me. "The Voultri."

My head spun, my balance was in great danger.

"Don't leave me," I managed to choke.

"I love you," he breathed against my lips as they pressed into mine, a hot tear running down my cheek burned my lips where his icy ones had just been. And then he was gone.

I must have fell to the floor because the next thing I knew, Tanya's long white hand was extended towards me, a rainbow of light blinding me, until I could make out a ring resting neatly on her finger. And then everything became dark.

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**I'm so excited, I have half as many chapters as my last story so far and the same amount of reviews! Either you guys are awesome or my stories just keep getting better ;) hah thanks everybody! **


	7. Chapter 7

In my dream I was flying, my arms spread wide as I swooped across the large blue and green world. In the air I felt willowy and graceful, no quality I possessed in the real world. I recognized the meadow below me, it's beauty, unworldly. I angled my body downwards and drifted like a feather to the earth. As I got closer I recognized a creature standing in the middle, rainbows bounced off his pallid skin. His eyes were closed and his expression was impassive, he was truly like stone.

"Edward," I mouthed, but no words came out.

I landed, and I began to run towards him, my legs pumped in frustration as I was over taken by the slow motion running that occurs in dreams.

"Edward!" I tired again, but he couldn't here me, he was fading away, his skin dissolving in the bright sunlight.

"Don't leave me," I screamed, my arms pumping hard at my sides but it was useless, like running through deep water.

I finally did get to him but when my hand reached for him, it swiped through him, like a ghost.

And then, as I fell to the ground, the scenery changed and I was in the forest outside of Charlie' house. I lay there trembling, limp on the ground as my dream turned black around the edges, and I got stuck in the empty void between dream and reality.

As I began to wake up the dream subsided from my mind and a blinding light pierced through my eyes.

"Gah," I gasped as I shielded my eyes.

"Are you alright?" Someone's voice asked me, but I couldn't be sure, all I could see were dots. From experience I quickly placed my head securely between my knees and took deep breaths.

"Sorry I shone a flashlight in your eye," the voice spoke again, "I wanted to make sure you weren't dead."

I peeked up from my knees, the movement brought on a whole new round of dizziness but I could clearly see Tanya, watching my thoughtfully.

"Thanks," I whispered unsurely.

Tanya giggled and came to stand over me, "I'm sure he'll be back soon Bella," she assured me.

"How would you know?" I mumbled, slightly aware that my tone was impolite. After all, how would Tanya know anything, she obviously didn't know a thing about rejection.

"I _don't _know, but would you rather me say that I think he will die and never come back?"

I whipped my head up to look at her, my mouth hung open, shock clear on my face.

She rolled her eyes, " You and Edward really are a lot alike, prone to over reaction."

I stared at her blankly.

She sighed, "He's not going to die, Bella, relax, breath," she commanded.

I tried to listen to her and took in a gulp of air, my breathing was shaky as I exhaled.

"This will be quiet interesting," she smirked thoughtfully, "I've never had a human stay for dinner," her eyes scorched and I could feel my stomach drop, my body solidified. She laughed when she realized she had scared me but didn't reassure me on anything.

_Edward wouldn't leave me here if it wasn't safe,_ I kept repeating to myself, _he would never do that, of course not. But… what if he didn't have a choice, what if he never even considered that Tanya could be dangerous, maybe… _I gulped, considering the possibilities.

The silence engulfed as Tanya stared at me curiously, like I was a complicated science project that she just didn't understand.

"Should you sleep soon?" she asked.

"I sleep at night."

"Oh that's right," she smiled slapping her hand to her forehead, "I apologize, it's just that I haven't really been around a human for a long period of time for," she wrinkled her forehead, as if calculating something, "fifty years," she finished smiling.

"How old are you?" I asked, I couldn't remember if Edward had told me or not.

"Oh, I've been a vampire for one hundred and eight years. That's longer then Edward," she smiled.

I tried to weakly smile back.

"And how old are you Bella?"

I should really keep my mouth shut, age was definitely a touchy subject.

"Eighteen," I sighed quietly.

She stared at me strangely, "You sound unhappy about that."

"It's older then Edward," I explained reluctantly, "And I get older everyday…"

"So you asked him to bite you," she said flatly.

I looked at her, stunned. I quickly realized she was the kind that spoke exactly how they thought.

"How – How did you know that?" I sputtered.

"It's painfully obvious, Bella," she sighed looking at her finger nails, "Why else would you both move to Alaska in the middle of no where?"

For college, I thought, but didn't say it. Of course that's where Charlie and Renee and many other people thought Edward and I had disappeared to, but I remember a time when Edward told me Charlie would rather swallow my lies then believe the truth. I sure hoped Charlie wouldn't one day throw up my lies and realize what had really happened. Though I was sure that even if Charlie became suspicious, the idea that his daughter went off to Alaska so she could be bit and turned into a vampire by her vampire husband, wouldn't have a great chance of crossing his mind.

"I suppose we're going to have to find you something to eat, correct?" Tanya asked me after a long silence.

"I'm not hungry," I managed to squeak. My heart was hard at work trying to keep a natural rhythm as the fact that Edward had just left me, hammered at it persistently. Each second, as I knew he grew farther and farther away, my entire body seemed to stretch, as if trying to reach him.

"Your heart sounds like a hummingbird on caffine," Tanya grimaced, "You sure you're okay?"

_Yeah, I'm fine Tanya, my reason for living just walked out your front door, my love, my existance, but it's fine, I feel just peachy. _"Yeah I'm okay," I told her. She reached out a hand, this time it was her right.

"This is going to be fun, Bella, trust me," her strange topaz eyes smiled at me, strange because of the way the sizzled out to black around the edges, like a marshmellow left over a fire pit to long.

_Trust her?_ "Yeah fun," I muttered as she dragged me out of the library, a poster of George Washington stared at me above the door as we left, even he seemed to feel bad for me, and that's just sad.

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**Wow, this is really fun to write :) hah, I hope it's fun to read! Reviews please!**


	8. Chapter 8

I began to wonder if Edward had given Tanya strict orders to bombard me to death with her constant chatter. I didn't think I would ever find anyone who talk nearly as much as Alice, but I had found her.

"So Bella, did Edward mention I went to Harvard?"

The fault line in my chest rippled painfully whenever she said his name. I was sure she knew, I think she was doing it on purpose now.

"No, he didn't," I replied icily as she half dragged me to yet another room in the mansion that seemed to have no end.

"I graduated there with honors four times," she smiled, her voice smug, "And Princeton twice," she added thoughtfully.

I wasn't planning on sharing the fact that I graduated from Forks High School with a pretty good GPA -- if I say so myself -- and Tanya didn't ask. In fact Tanya hadn't asked me anything about myself.

"This is another guest room," she smiled, gesturing to yet another large wood floor room, a couch pushed neatly against the wall, the opposite wall filled with books. This house had a mind boggling amount of books.

I tried to pay attention as she rambled on about the history of the house, and how long she'd live here, and I ultimately desperate to tear my heart away from the pain that coursed through it. The rest of my body was numb, almost like a bomb was waiting to go off. I hadn't cried yet, and cringed at the thought of trying to go to sleep tonight.

I haven't been able to spot Tanya's ring since before I fainted, or maybe I was deliberately keeping my eye away from her left hand.

"Uhm Tanya," I asked hesitantly as we roamed a floor of the house, I had lost count, "where am I going to sleep?" I wondered if she was willing to sacrifice one of her many guest rooms, or maybe I was sleeping on a cot in the cellar.

"Edward's room," she smiled.

"Edward's room?" I echoed, his name rolling off my tongue before I could hold it back.

"Unless you'd rather sleep somewhere else," she said, scanning over the pain in my expression. She must not realize why I'm over reacting like this, she couldn't understand, nobody could. I was ashamed to admit that every time Edward leaves, even to go hunting, I get that pain in the pit of my stomach, the sickening feeling that maybe, this time, he wouldn't come back.

"No, no, that's fine," I assured her hastily, a yawn escaping my lips.

Tanya looked surprised and amused at such a human gesture. "That means you are tired Bella, correct?"

"I guess so," another small yawn filled my chest.

She giggled, "Would you like dinner first, I'm sure we have something…"

"No, thanks," I replied, certain that I could not possibly consume food with the tight hollow feeling deep inside of my stomach, "I think I'll just go to sleep now." I knew I would never be able to sleep, but the fact that there was a place in this house called "Edward's room," I was suddenly anxious to get there.

Tanya thought about that for a second, "The note did say that I feed you... –"

"Note?" I interrupted her, picking up the key word.

"Yes a note," she snapped at my interruption.

I pressed tight my open lips, sure she would show me a note if Edward indeed had left one. Instead she carefully fixed her expression into a weary smile. "This way, Bella."

I followed behind her, my view being the shiny waterfall of blonde curls that she had thrown over her shoulder. I followed her up several flights of stairs, pressing my lips tight, refraining from asking her juvenile questions that filled my mind like, are we there yet!? I was slow and careful as I climbed up the stairs which seemed to anger Tanya as she strode ahead of me.

When I finally caught up with her we were in a dusty hallway that reminded me of an attic. I wheezed a little as the dust fluttered into my already burning lungs. She opened the a door silently and the old wood creaked as I followed behind her, into the dark room.

My breathing stuttered when Tanya flipped the light switch on behind me. This room was like every other guest room in the house, a couch pushed up against the wall on my right, and a bookcase on the left one. But this room made my pulse beat madly in my veins, mostly because It smelled like him, but also because my bedroom furniture was there, set up the way I had it back home.

"What the – " I couldn't continue, I didn't know what to say. I remember when I had asked Edward what was to become of my the furniture that I had left behind at Charlie's, he had smiled and told me not to worry about it.

"He set this up right before you two moved up here," Tanya said loudly, regaining my attention.

"Why?" I asked breathless as my fingers lingered on my dresser.

"He said Alice saw something but couldn't figure it out," she sighed looking behind her as if I was wasting her time, "he wanted a place for you to stay in case it got serious."

It was irrational, but suddenly I could feel my skin tighten with anger. He knew all along _something_ was going to happen, and he didn't tell me! Most importantly he didn't even trust me enough to let me stay at my own house, I needed a babysitter!? And he lied, he said nothing in this world would require him to leave my side.

"Goodnight Bella," Tanya whispered suddenly making me jump, her naturally menacing voice breaking my concentration.

I watched as she closed the door, her hand lingering so I would see it, the large diamond on her long slender finger. It picked up the pink light of the setting sun outside my window and set a beam of light sweeping over my room, and she was gone.

The whole situation made me furious. I couldn't believe he left me in a house with a crazy vampire who was probably intent on stealing my husband, in a room that was cold and smelled like him. My heart ached as I tried not to breath in to much of the sweet smelling air, positive it would evoke those traitor tears.

I stood in the middle of the room for what felt like hours, my knees had begun to feel wobbly but I refused to move, now they just felt numb. A sudden movement in my pocket made me jump and gasp. My hand flew inside of my jean pocket and found the trembling object, a small silver phone, indentical to Edward's. I don't remember putting a phone in my pocket, nor having a phone like this at all. I opened it hestantly, and brought my mouth to the reciever.

"Hello?"

"Bella," a voice breathed.

I didn't even have time to think or speak, I immeditaley dropped down onto my knees and let the tears that burned my eyes fall free. I thought I had been strong when he left, I didn't cry or scream, and I only fainted once, but the second I heard the soft velvet of his voice, and the obvious relief of his tone when he heard my voice, my body crumbled, and everything was far beyond my control.

My sobs errupted into the reciver, yet I could still tell when his breathing stopped.

"Bella," he said more anxiously.

"I'm here, d-don't leave," I struggled to say, I was terrified that he would hang up due to my emotional outburst.

"Bella, please don't cry," he begged softly, I could here the wretchless in his tone, almost taste the grief through the reciver.

I calmed myself a little and crawled across the floor so that I could rest my back agaisnt the foot of my bed.

"Where are you?" I asked shakily.

He sighed, his voice suddenly aged, "I'm going to tell you Bella, but you have to promise me something."

I nodded dumbly, obviously he couldn't see my nod but he understood and went on, "You have to promise me that you're going to let me explain, and you're going to breath while I do."

I nodded again. "Promise?" He asked.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Bella, I'm in Italy."

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**You know the deal :) Thanks for reading the story! I'm off from school all week so I hope to have chapters rolling in by the dozen (not really) :) Stay tuned! **


	9. Chapter 9

My previous promise was broken, and shattered into little pieces. He told me that he was Italy, and then expected me to be able to breath?

"It's not what you think," he answered quickly when he realized I had stopped breathing. "Bella, are you there? Please answer me so that I can explain."

"I'm here," I choked out, gripping the ends of the arms of my shirt.

"Okay, please listen to me, Alice had a vision a while ago having to do with the Voultri's return. She couldn't tell if it was next week, or next year, or in the next one hundred years. She couldn't even tell if you were still human or not," his voice rose sharper and more menacing when he said that last part," We decided that we were to remain cautious, but go on with our lives, or whatever you want to call it. But then Alice saw it clearer, the Voultri's plan, or rather Jane's plan." I could hear a low rumble of a growl from his chest, but he didn't go on.

"What's Jane's plan? Why are you in Italy?" I demanded frustrated, dragging my arm across my cheek angrily to remove the tears that wouldn't stop.

He growled again before continuing, forcing venom into his voice as he spoke, "Jane was always the jealous type. She's afraid of what's going to happen when I change you, Bella. She's afraid that your power will exceed hers, given that you have some kind of human power that makes you immune to her torturing. So, she planned on coming there and taking both of us as …"

"Prisoners," I finished, my voice breaking.

His tone was wary as he went on, "Jane bargained that if she kept you there, under her watchful eye, nobody would be able to change you."

"Why did she want you?" I whispered.

He sighed, "That's the only way Aro agreed to let her proceed with her plan, she would bring us both back, and I would join them."

I sat there in the now pitch black room, of Tanya's house. I couldn't hear a thing except the rapid sound of my heart attempting to flee from my chest. My hands were wet from sweat, but the rest of my body felt like ice.

"I'm sorry love," Edward whispered softly over the phone, love and regret all mixing into one tone.

"You never answered my question," I said as calmly as my quivering voice could become, "why are you in Italy?"

"I couldn't have them coming _there,_ Bella," he answered like it was obvious.

"You're not joining them are you," I asked, panic raising in my chest like a fast filling bath tub, "Edward, you're coming back, right?"

He was quiet for a minuet, I listened for a sound other then my erratic breathing.

"I've broken many promises to you, Bella," his voice sounded sad and ancient, "I'm not doing that anymore, I'm not going to make promises that I can't keep."

I was sure that if I was standing I would have fainted, but pushed my spine against the wood bottom of my bed even when it screamed in protest. I hugged my knees to my chest, my sweaty hands were struggling to grip to phone as hard as I could, as if I could break it, and Edward would appear from the shattered pieces.

"Please come back," I choked out, begging now, "Please."

"Bella, are you suggesting that I will not try everything in my power to come back to you, to love you and hold close your warm skin," he whispered, "Bella, my heart, though it can not beat, feels like it as been completely ripped from my body, and left there with you."

A small sob ripped loose from my chest, "I miss you."

"It's only been six hours, and it feels like a hundred years since I've seen you," he chuckled sadly.

I squeezed my eyes shut tight, trying to memorize every sound and tone of his voice. "Will you call a lot?" I asked quite desperately, yearning to hear his voice.

"Whenever I can," he vowed in a whisper. "I must go now, Bella."

"Oh, no," I gasped, "please stay, one more minuet."

He chuckled sadly once more, "I love you, Bella, and I plan to come claim my heart once this is over."

"It's all yours," I whispered.

"Bye, Bella."

"I love you."

"I love you, never forget that."

"I won't."

And then I was left with nothing but the deafening silence that rang painfully in my ears .

I suddenly remembered that I forgot to ask him so many things like, was his entire family there in Italy? What was this note Tanya had mentioned? I still had the little silver phone pressed against my ear as I listened for everything and nothing, all at the same time. I never realized it, but silence was the loudest thing I had ever heard in my entire life.

_If you would like to place a call, please hang up and try again. _

I threw the tiny silver phone with as much force as I could conjure against the wall, my teeth clenched as I realized my stupidity. That was the phone that Edward would reach my at. I stood up and trudged over to the phone, it's battery had come off and a tiny crack was on the front of the screen.

"Great, just great," I muttered to myself as I tried to use my numb fingers to place the battery back into it's slot.

The next series of events happened too fast – in vampire speed perhaps – for me to tell one second from the next, or maybe it all happened in one second. First a voice bellowed from downstairs, "Deanna no!" Then my door flew open, and through the blinding light I caught sight of a vampire, her teeth snarled at me, it was then that my heart truly plummeted to my feet.

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**I love cliffhangers ;) Hah, I'm sorry. **

**Next chapter up extra soon! **


	10. Chapter 10

The vampire smiled, her face was contorted into such a jubilant grin so that I couldn't make out her features. Her teeth glistened, a sallow white in the dark room. The only thought that seemed to occupy my mind at the moment was that Edward wasn't here. I was going to die, and Edward wasn't here to save me, or at least say goodbye.

The vampires expression suddenly became wretched with anger and frustration. It was then that I saw that she was being held back.

"Hello, you must be Bella." In front of me was a women, her features were clearly older then me. Her voice wasn't even strained as she held the thrashing newborn. I knew at once that the women was too a vampire from the gold of her irises that stared at me happily. I couldn't keep my eyes on the beautiful vampire for long, the newborn in her arms was still screeching, her arms outstretch reaching for me frantically.

The older vampire saw the fear, plastered across my face, I probably looked like a vampire too, I could still feel that all the color was drained from my face.

"Deanna, this is Bella, she is a friend of our family," the older vampire told the girl soothingly.

"I want her," Deanna struggled to roar, her eyes burned into me, frantic and determined.

"You can't have her," the older vampire answered harshly, "we don't hunt humans Deanna, she is a human."

"Let me go," the newborn screamed, I could hear the window beside me tremble with the impact of her screech.

The older vampire sighed, "I can bring you back to the mountain Deanna, do you want that to happen?"

The newborn froze, her eyes suddenly left mine, they looked just past me, her eyes glazing over, seeing something I couldn't.

"No," she whispered, "No, please no," she sobbed tearlessly.

"Then you will leave, Bella alone, do you understand me?"

The vampire nodded, but her eyes returned to mine, smoldering and infuriated.

I hadn't realized that I had been slowly walking backwards until the back of my body smacked into a wall and the breath was temporarily knocked out of me.

The older vampire stared at me thoughtfully. "So you're the famous Bella," she smiled.

I couldn't answer her, nor could I breathe or move or think.

"I'm Irene, we've all heard so much about you."

I stared at her.

"Oh dear, we've really frightened you haven't we," she sighed, Deanna – still held tight in her arms – growled. "I've better take her downstairs," she grimaced, tilting her head in Deanna's direction, "sweet dreams Bella," she whispered before disappearing from the room.

I don't know how long I stood there pressed against the wall, I lost count of my heartbeats. Eventually I slid down the wall, my calves pressed against my thighs as I curled myself into a ball. My eyes looked straight ahead, seeing nothing, absolutely nothing.

I don't know how or when I fell asleep. My eyes felt dry and swollen when I opened them to the sunlight room. I stared at the air in front of my for a moment. Due to to the sunlight I could see the tiny dust particles floating in the air just in front of my face. I threw my hand out in front of me and watched as they all scattered, but just as fast as they all scattered, they all came right back. "Stupid dust," I muttered, for no particular reason, maybe just to make sure I still had a voice. And it was there alright, cracked and shaking as I closed my eyes to inhale the dusty air.

"Hello Bella."

I wondered briefly if my heart had a warranty, maybe I could go to the human factory and pick up one that didn't stop and then try to escape my chest.

Tanya giggled as I stared at like a deer in headlights.

"Bella, do you know that you talk when you sleep?"

I blushed all the way up to my forehead. Of course I knew I talked when I sleep. My mom had teased me about it all the time when I was growing up, and my sleep talking was the only way Edward had been able to hear my thoughts – if that's what you want to call it considering I have no control over what I say in my sleep. My stomach suddenly pivoted like a deathly washing machine as I contemplated the odds that I said something about Tanya in my sleep.

Tanya giggled once more from her spot, her legs crisscrossed on my bed, as she looked at the red blush on my cheeks.

"I've heard about that," she smirked, "pooling of blood on a humans cheeks when they're embarrassed. I witnessed it a few times during my many years of schooling, but never have I've found it so… mouthwatering."

I was sure my face was as pale as a ghost now, and that made her laugh too. "You're funny, Bella," she smiled as she rose fluently from my bed and to the door. "I'm going to go downstairs and warn Deanna, I've convinced Irene to let her try and be in the same room as you," Tanya smiled while I gulped, "There's a bathroom across the hall. See you downstairs Bella."

As I used my stiff legs to stumble across the hall to the bathroom, I kept repeating the words over and over again in my head that I wanted so much to believe, _Edward wouldn't leave me here if it wasn't safe. Edward wouldn't leave me here if it wasn't safe. _I used those words like a prayer as I stood motionless under the hot water of the shower, letting it loosen the tight muscles that formed knots in my back.

I close my eyes and make myself believe that I'm in the shower back in Charlie's house. I'm smiling and hastily washing out my strawberry shampoo. I dry off quickly and once again thank Alice for buying these new silk pajamas. I sprint quietly across the hallway, careful not to make Charlie suspicion with my eagerness, then I go into my room and close the door. When I turn around, he's there, motionless like a true statue, beautiful like a true god.

"Finally," he chuckles as I dive into his open arms, inhaling his magnificent scent.

"I missed you," I whisper as he breathes in the smell of my hair.

"I love you, Bella."

I come back to the present, and let the last words ring in my ears for a few moments. I clench my teeth when I realize I can't get the velvet sound of his voice right, and I know for a fact that my daydreams don't do his appearance justice. The fact that I can't hear or picture him clearly makes my entire chest collapse, I feel like my lungs shrunk and my stomach grew more hollow, and my hearts not there at all.

My brain suddenly goes into hyper mode as I dried off and walked back to the bedroom, because now, I know _exactly_ what I'm going to do.

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**Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Never did I think I would recieve over 50! Wow, all you readers and reviewers are amazing! Thank you so much! **


	11. Chapter 11

I was sure my footsteps down all five flights of stairs were well heard. I was lucky, the only time I actually tripped was on the last stair, and that was only a stumble.

As I regained balance I looked up to find Tanya staring at me, amused. She took in my appearance and smirked. I couldn't blame her, my eyes – though I had refrained from scaring myself with a mirror – I knew were red and swollen, my hair was damp from my shower which I had to take due to my lack of one the night before.

"Bella, you look … nice."

I knew she was embarrassing me on purpose, but as much as I didn't want to give her that satisfaction, my cheeks burned red.

It was then that I heard a growl, almost animal like, that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight.

"Deanna," Irene warned.

I hadn't noticed that they had been sitting on the couch in the living room on my left.

"Bella," Tanya said sweetly, pulling back my attention, "do you think you could refrain from doing that near Deanna, it makes her quiet thirsty."

"I'll try my best," I muttered as I glanced back at Deanna who had now removed her eyes completely from the television screen to glare at me. Like it was _my _fault she wasn't allowed to eat me. I shivered at my last thought and turned back to Tanya. Irene was suddenly standing beside her, both of their expression were curious.

"What?" I asked, abruptly self conscious when they didn't say anything.

Irene spoke first, "It doesn't _bother_ you that there's a newborn in this house."

I flinched, "What do you mean?"

"Well, any other human would have been long gone after what happened last night," Irene answered, staring at me , her eyes a rusted gold.

"Well I guess I'm not just any other human," I mumbled.

"So we've been told," Tanya smiled tightly. I allowed my gaze to settle back on Deanna. Even through her glare I could tell she was beautiful. Her hair was extremely thick yet pin straight as it feel over her shoulders with it's dark ebony color. Her face was oval shaped, and her lips were full and pink against her unnaturally pale skin. Her long nails dug into the couch as she glowered at me.

The same thoughts came to mind as when I had saw Bree in the clearing that day during the fight. The hunger that burned in her eyes, hunger for me, for my blood. I couldn't help wonder if that's what I would look like when I would be changed, if I was changed.

It dawned on me suddenly that this whole thing wouldn't have happened if Edward had listened to me and let us move to Alaska sooner after the wedding. He wanted me to have my fair chance of remembering and saying goodbye, something that nobody in his family had ever had a chance to do. My normal stubbornness was turned to mush when he continued to dazzle me with his topaz eyes and crooked smile. When we finally had moved to Alaska we had agreed on waiting for Carlisle to take enough time off from work, and be there when Edward changed me, in case anything went wrong. Something going wrong during my change would have been a small price to pay for what was happening now.

I hadn't even known I was hungry until I heard my stomach growl.

"Bella, was that _you?_" Tanya asked in disbelieve.

Ignoring her request to not blush, my face naturally oozed into a familiar red. "Um, my stomach actually."

"Oh I see, you are hungry?" Irene asked, her tone excited.

"Yes?" I asked questioningly at her excitement.

"I've always wanted to learn how to cook," she mused, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, its okay I can –"

"Nonsense," she grinned, "you're a guest."

I sighed, a vampire with no sense of taste, cooking, this was going to be fabulous.

Tanya had left me and gone to sit on the couch next to Deanna, who was now only glancing at me frequently.

"Oh my god!" I spun around quickly to a the sound of a high pitched voice. "You're Bella!"

Standing in front of me was a girl, well vampire, who looked to be no more older then thirteen. Her hair was a mass of tight brunette corkscrew curls that were held securely in a messy bun atop her head. A book hung dangling in her hand as she stared at me, her mouth open wide.

I felt the blush fill my cheeks lightly once more and she giggled, "well now I _know_ you're Bella," she was indicating my blush.

"How do you know who I am?"

She giggled again, her laugh was similar to Alice and I struggled to keep my eyes open, the chance to close them and picture that the entire Cullen family was here was extremely tempting. "Everyone knows who you are, Bella," she rolled her eyes.

I stared at her, uncomprehendingly.

"You're Edward's human, everyone in our family knows who you are. Sebastian and Warren were even making beats in the beginning on how soon he would kill you, "she said this while smiling, and I could feel my stomach drop with impact.

"Hi I'm Lillian," she introduced herself suddenly, "but you can call me Lilly."

"Lilly, are you frightening Bella?" Irene called from the kitchen for my benefit, considering she could have whispered it and Lilly would have heard.

"No, Mom," she called back.

She turned to me and smiled, "Want to come see my room?" Her golden eyes sparkled under her unbelievably think fringe of lashes.

"Um, sure," I smiled warily, seeing no way around it.

Obviously human speed wasn't enough for Lilly, so I was immediately scooped into her arms as she ran up two flights of stairs. She placed me in front of a large wooden door.

"I redecorated just this summer, and I think I did _just _the right shade of pink – "

I watched as her lips buzzed, barley moving and her words began to sound like classical music, set on fast-forward.

When she was finished she grinned. "Come on Bella!"

I silently sighed as she tugged me throw her door frame. Her cold hand – though much smaller – was icy and reminded me of Edward's. This time I really did close my eyes, and breathed in the scent of him that wasn't there.

Alice must have seen it coming by now, and surely she would have called Edward, it thought. Maybe that was a good thing, if he didn't call, that meant he wanted me to do what Alice sees in her vision. But I wasn't going to fret on right and wrong right now, because no matter what, tonight, I was leaving for Italy.

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**Did you all think Bella was just going to let him go?! Silly readers ;) haha. I'm sorry that this chapter adds so many new characters, I really try to only use characters that Stephenie Meyer herself creating because I'm horrible at creating new characters :( (sigh) Alright, anyway, thank you for reading and please review! **

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**P.S. check my page for my new little One-Shot entitled Sole? but only if you like stereotypical humor :) **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**

**Me**: This is chapter is **long**!

**Everybody**: Yay!

**Clock**: 1:45 a.m.

**Me**[Falls asleep on keyboard

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Lilly's room was like a picture perfect example of the room I dreamed of having as a kid. The part of her walls closest to her to the floor was a light blue. As it got higher, it faded, darker and darker until her ceiling was a dark blue, almost black, with glow in the dark stars scattered across a sky scene. Like every other room in this house she had a couch and a bookcase, but her bookcase seemed to be in desperate need of expansion. Books were pilled everywhere, in the corners, on her dresser, and on the arm rests of her white couch.

"Wow," I gasped under my breath as I took in everything.

"You really like it?!" she squealed.

"It's beautiful." I couldn't help myself as I ran my fingers over the books, there were an unimaginable amount of them, I couldn't believe this many books existed. Some looked centuries old, their bindings were destroyed and their pages yellow. Others looked brand new, like they've never been touched.

I got to the end of the bookcase when I looked up to admire the magnificence of her starry night ceiling. That's when I saw it, in the corner of her scene was a white spot. It had hints of red and orange from the points in which it reached out, almost like it was on fire.

"Lilly, what's that?" I asked her pointing to the strange blob.

I peered back at her when she didn't answer. When she met my gaze she rolled her eyes. "That's _you _Bella," she giggled, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Me?" What was she talking about? I was a white blob on her ceiling?

"Edward called you his meteor," she smiled.

I took a moment to stare at her dumbly before it all sunk in. Of course I remember when he called me his meteor. In fact I know exactly what he said, _"Before you, Bella, my life was a moonless night… And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, and there was beauty."_ It felt like only yesterday that his velvet voice spoke to me, begging me to forgive him, for leaving and for going to Italy. Ironic isn't it? That I remember this while he's in Italy, again.

"Bella, are you okay?"

I tried to sound calm and relaxed when I answered her, "How did you know that Lilly?"

"Alice told me."

Of course, I thought bitterly. Of course our little physic saw it.

I sighed and looked up to see Lilly smiling. "Bella, you're blushing. Don't you like it?" She frowned

"No, no Lilly, I like it. Really, I do." I tried to sound convincing, I don't think fooled her.

"Are you worried about him, Bella?"

Only in a house filled with vampires would there never be one secret.

As I looked at Lilly, unsure of how to answer her question, I suddenly felt strange. Though her appearance was one much younger then me, I could assume that she's lived on this earth longer then I have.

I sighed, "Yeah, Lilly, I – I am worried about him," I stuttered and I could feel my brow furrow. I don't know why it made my stomach churn to tell Lilly. Maybe it was because It finally made me realize how much danger we were both in. Maybe in reminded me of the long trip I would be making tonight. Or maybe I wasn't used to telling anyone besides Edward exactly how I felt.

Lilly sighed suddenly, "She's coming," she said aggravated. I knew it wasn't me who she was talking to, even if in a normal situation, I would have been the only one able to hear her. "My mom wants you downstairs, she says your breakfast is ready."

I nodded and began to walk towards the door.

"Oh and Bella," Lilly called from behind me, "If everything I've heard about you and Edward is true, I highly doubt he'll leave his meteor behind."

I smiled at her words. "Thanks Lilly."

She grinned, "You're welcome, Bella."

I turned and began my journey down the multiple flights of stairs. You would think a mansion this big would have an elevator by now.

I was barely able to hold back my sigh of relief when I saw the plate of pancakes on their kitchen counter. Not like I was sure if it was edible just yet, but I personally was just praying not to get a plate of fish heads.

Irene grinned at me as I sat down. It didn't take me long to realize that I would have an audience as I ate my breakfast. Lilly and Tanya eventually trickled into the large kitchen and I could even see Deanna out of the corner of me eye, staring at me curiously.

I used my fork and lifted a piece of the pancake to my mouth. It wasn't by any standard the best pancakes I've ever tasted, nor the softest, but I could definitely choke them down convincingly enough. The fact that I was eating food seemed to fascinate them to no end.

When I was finished I thanked Irene and stood up to take my plate to the sink.

"Oh, let me take that," she smiled taking it gently from my hands.

"Thank you for everything," I told her as she danced to the sink. She truly did remind me of Esme.

"No problem dear, you're always welcome her, remember that," she told me sternly, a smile playing on her lips.

"I will," I smiled. The guilt was just a dull pull in my chest as I realized my plan would show no amount of thankfulness.

As I was walking out of the kitchen, Lilly was by my side in half a heartbeat, talking a mile a minuet. "What do you want to do today? We could watch movies, Oh! I just got a that new one in mail yesterday, wait, what about a staring contest? Can humans play staring contests? I've bet everyone in this house at a staring contest, well, mostly because they get bored of sitting there, but I'd do anything to win a staring contest. Oh, I know! Alice told me you liked to read."

She finally paused, waiting for my input. I nodded and her eyes sparkled. She didn't ask further questions as she pulled me into the library, the room I Edward and I had first sat down with Tanya in. She immediately ran at vampire speed along every wall of the place. I had walked over to sit on the couch when she was abruptly beside me.

"Here," she grinned, handing me a book.

I ran a hand over the cover, "Wuthering Heights," I whispered. I turned to her, emotion suddenly over filling my body, possibly to have something so familiar, in such an unfamiliar place. "How'd you know?"

She smiled, almost sheepish now, "I asked Edward about that one. I love books, and when he told our family that there was a possibility that you could stay here a few days, I wanted to make sure I had your favorite one."

I flipped open the front cover and smiled, "Thank you, Lilly, really, thank you." I tried to say it like Edward says things, with such intensity you just _know _he means it. Apparently I didn't do such a bad job, Lilly seemed completely flattered and her eyes looked like they held their own amount of glow in the dark stars.

I then let myself sink into the familiar words, and surround myself with the familiar characters, as I tried to ignore the familiar ache in my heart.

Lilly and I stayed in the library all day, reading and letting the dull sun coming through a window to warm the room. I lifted my eyes from the book for a few moments to gaze at Lilly's skin, the way it sparkled, dim yet there was brilliancy to it.

As I stared at her I wondered briefly what must have happened for a girl so young to be changed into a vampire. Edward had said that in most every case, the person was near death. What had happened to nearly end the life of a girl who had just begun to life? I froze suddenly realizing what I had just done. I had seen Edward's point of view on the subject of my _change_.

But though I clearly understood Edward's view, I also saw something else. I saw Lilly and did not see a monster, nor a girl deprived of her life. I saw the small smile on her lips as she read a thick book, and I saw the sunlight bending off of her porcelain skin as if she was an angel. I smiled to myself and subdued myself back into the story.

By the end of the day I had finished the entire book. Taking breaks for the food that Irene kindly prepared, and also to meet the other members of the coven. I meet Sebastian who ever so kindly greeted me by saying, "So you're the little squirt that made Edward run away from home." As a result I blushed and Irene lightly smacked him in the back of the head. I met Warren who bowed deeply when he met me and said, "It's wonderful to make your acquaintance Mrs. Cullen." As a result of _that _I blushed once more, deep scarlet, and Warren got smacked in the back of the head by Sebastian, "She's married you dope."

I met others, though they were quiet and kept their distance, which didn't offend me in the least.

"I'm going to go to bed now," I announced to whoever cared to listen.

Tanya was on the couch watching a movie with Lilly. Without looking at me she said, "Goodnight Bella."

Lilly groaned and laid her chin on the arm rest of the couch so that she could look at me. "You're going to sleep _already_?" she whined. I smiled warily, hoping she didn't have a gift similar to anyone in the Cullen familiar because she would sniff out my little plan in a heart beat.

"Yeah," I faked a yawn, "Sorry, Lilly."

She pouted, "Goodnight."

I attempted to get up the stairs with as much grace as possible. Needless to say I was out of breath by the time I got to my room. I was on the verge of dizziness as I contemplated on breathing _and _finding a way to sneak out of a house filled with vampires, all with incredabilty hearing.

I automatically ruled out going anywhere downstairs. I thought for a few more moments though I could not silence the back of my mind that told me I only had one choice, the window.

I didn't have time to think, nor did I _want _time to think. I knew that if I had time to think I would realize how completely ridiculous I was being. Every single sheet or blanket that I could find in the room were tied together making one unbelievably long rope. I was glad that Edward had factored in the cold weather when stocking the closet. I wondered briefly if this rope would reach down all five stories, though I knew I only needed it to read down the first two, where I could land on a balcony and climb down a trellis.

I carefully and securely fastened the end of the rope of blankets to the post on my bed, throwing the end out of the open window. Without second thought I threw on my jacket, stuffed the small silver cell phone in my pocket, and was out the window.

To be truthful I was never good at the rope climbing in gym – well, frankly I wasn't good at anything in gym. This reminded me of the time in forth grade when I finally made it to the top of the rope and it was a miracle, like I suddenly had wings and had flown to the top. The pride had quickly subsided into fear as I pondered on how I would get down. The gym floor had spun sickeningly below me and I clung onto the rope for dear life. As I climbed out of the fifth story window, I realized my bravery was as non-existent as ever. I grasped the quilt beneath my hand, much harder to hold then the rope had been. I took a gulp of air and began to scoot down the rope, slowly, begging my hands not to become sweaty and ruin everything.

"Bella? Are you running away?"

I looked up startled, and saw Lilly's face staring at me curiously from my window. I couldn't concentrate on her for long, as I became farther and farther away, falling, faster, faster.

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**Reviews please?**


	13. Chapter 13

I didn't have time to be scared as I fell. I couldn't be sure If I would die. Do people die when they fall down a story and a half? The fall was so fast that I could have blinked and missed the entire thing. Eventually I did close my eyes, right when I knew I was about to hit the stone floor of the balcony.

I opened my eyes wide in surprise when I realized the air had seized and there was a numb dizziness in my head. It took me a few moments to understand what had happened, for me to look up at Lilly and realize that her stone arms had saved me. She smiled at the puzzled look on my face. "The Cullen's were right, you do fall down a lot."

I blushed and childishly inverted my eyes to something else. She laughed and set me down on my feet. "Where were you going Bella?" I pushed my finger to her lips, indicating for her to be quiet. I pointed away from the house and she nodded. I walked over to the side of the balcony first, hitching my leg over the railing, when I suddenly found myself back in Lilly's arms, already on the ground. She carried me through the vast snow banks, running so fast that her feet didn't even make indents in the powdery snow.

When she finally placed me on my feet, we were so far away from the house that it was a mere dot in the distance.

"So where are you going?" She asked, trailing behind me as I headed east, I had no time to loose.

"I forgot something at home," I lied, my voice wavering as my lungs burned with the icy Alaskan night air.

"You're home is that way Bella," she told me, pointing the opposite direction.

"I forgot something at my home in Forks. I'll be back soon Lilly, don't worry." I hated lying to her, but I wasn't about to let her stop me from doing this, something I had to do.

In a heartbeat, she was in front of me, her height was much similar to Alice's so I looked slightly down as she spoke. "Bella, I'm not that _entirely _stupid," she scowled.

"Aw, I don't think you're stupid Lilly," groaned, searching for a way around her, she couldn't see my face when I lied, I would give myself away for sure, but she wasn't moving.

"Where are you _really_ going, Bella?"

There was no way around this, I realized, either way she'll tell Tanya, and Tanya would come pull me away by the ear, her ring glittering in the process. I gritted my teeth at the image.

"Bella?"

I sighed and involuntarily looked over each shoulder before leaning down, eye height with Lilly. "I'm going to tell you Lilly, but I'm going to need to ask you favor in return."

She nodded, her eyes guarded.

"I'm going to need you to not tell anyone. Please? Can you do that for me?"

Her expression softened and she nodded.

I took a deep breath of air, ignoring the pain that shot through my chest as my body shivered from the cold, "I'm going to Italy, Lilly."

Her eyes suddenly became wide, two big pools of gold, and I worried briefly that she would scream. "Oh, Bella," she gushed quietly, in which I stood up straight, trying to understand her reaction, "Are you going to go save Edward? Oh, of course you are. That's so romantic." I blushed as I continued to walk around Lilly, her eyes lost in thought, a smile placed on her small white lips. She caught up to me quickly and continued to talk, "But Bella, oh the Voultri. How are you going to get around them? Are the other Cullen's going to help you? Did Alice have a vision this would happen? Oh, I bet that's what happened. She saw you save him! Does Edward know you're going to save him?" She paused, waiting for my answer.

My mind was still working out her first few questions so when she stopped, I was confused, "What?"

"Does Edward know you're going to save him?" She repeated.

I pressed my lips together firmly, wondering if I should lie. I finally gave up and sighed, "No."

Lilly frowned, and her eyebrows knitted together, as if she was trying to understand something, "Will he be very mad?"

"Yes," I mumbled, trying to focus on going the right direction, which was hard as I felt myself getting the feeling of walking in a circle. Everything looked the same.

Lilly didn't say anything for a long time. She followed me and seemed to be lost in thought. I finally made it to something that resembled a road and I turned to look at Lilly. "You should go back now, Lilly."

Her eyes fluttered as if I woke her up from a daydream, "What?"

"You should go back, now," I repeated.

She frowned, "Can't I come with you ?"

"No Lilly, absolutely not," I told her sternly, there was no way I was putting _her _in danger, even if compared to her I was like a thin China plate, just asking to be smashed.

"Bella, we both know it's going to be days until you reach the airport, but with vampire speed…"

"I'm sorry Lilly but I can't let you come, It's one thing for me to constantly put my life in jeopardy, but I'm sure not dragging you don't with me."

"I'm already dead, Bella," she reminded me softly, her tone urging me to agree with her, "Besides, its going to be my fault if I let you go and then you get hit by a bus the second you're out of my sight."

I glowered at her, stupid overprotective vampires. Were they all the same?!

"Please, Bella?" Her butterscotch eyes pleaded.

"I don't know, Lilly," I told her biting down on my lip.

She smelt an easy victory. "Please Bella? With me you'll find him so much faster, and I'll save you from everything, and it'll be so much fun! Please, please, Bella? With a cherry on top? Please?"

"Alright, alright," I growled angrily. I was definitely a hopeless pushover. "You can come, but you have to promise to listen to me. If anyone asks, I'm you're older sister taking you on your first trip to Italy. Understand?"

She nodded excitingly. Her pace itching to sprint with joy.

"I don't know how long I'll be there. Long enough for Jane to capture me I suppose," I frowned, "But I'm hoping if they have me, they'll let Edward go."

"Won't he then just do something reckless to save you?" Lilly asked.

I grimaced, "I know he will, but I'm hoping I'll find a way out before he does."

"That sounds pretty risky," she noted.

"Didn't anyone every tell you?" I smiled, "Risky is my middle name," I joked, arching my eye brow villainously.

She laughed loudly, "I thought you're middle name was Clumsy?"

I grimaced, but smiled when her laughter filled my ears, insanely similar to tinkling bells. "Marie, actually. Isabella Marie Cullen," I smiled and stopped to shake her hand, "Nice to meet you…"

"Lillian Lee Sweetstone," she grinned, "It's great to make your acquaintance Mrs. Cullen," she said in a profound tone, bowing deeply, we both shook with laughter as she imitated Warren. It felt good to laugh. Almost like every care in the world was gone. It was strange when Renee's words from when I was younger swirled into my mind, _"Laughter is the best medicine, Bella." _And it truly was, as the hole in my chest fell silent, it's throbbing lost in the sweet laughter.

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**Two chapters up in one day (It _was_ 1:45, thats the same day in my book) ! Who's good ;)** **Hah just kidding. Anyway this one was a little short, but maybe I'll even get another one up today! Hmm, good possibility, so keep checking back! Thanks! **


	14. Chapter 14

Eventually Lilly was carrying me to the airport, I agreed to this when I realized I had lost the feeling in my toes. It was then at the airport that I realized I didn't bring any money. I grimaced and pushed the heel of my hand to my forehead. "Oh no," I groaned.

"What?" Lilly asked worried.

"I didn't bring money. I'll have to use the ATM machine," I sighed walking across the airport lobby. I was hoping the remaining money left in my "college fund" would be enough for two tickets to Seattle, at least there I could sneak home and borrow some money from Charlie. I frowned at the thought of having Charlie pitch in for something that everyone would think I was crazy for.

I reached into my pocket, hoping to find my credit card when I felt my hand grasp a wad of paper. I wondered why I hadn't felt it before. I took it out and froze in place as I looked at the multiple hundred dollar bills that were rolled up neatly, and held together by a rubber band. Realization suddenly dawned on me, bringing anger with it. How could he leave this much money in my pocket and not tell me? Was he completely out of his _mind_!? I stiffly unrolled the bills and counted quietly to myself. Ten thousand dollars. Yes, he was utterly and _completely _out of his mind!

I hadn't even realized I had clenched my teeth when Lilly tapped my shoulder, "Bella are you okay?"

"Wonderful," I snapped, stomping angrily to wait on line for tickets. My foot tapped as I tried to control my new found rage. How could he?! That was more then half the amount that had existed in my college fund _before _I blew it on motorcycles. And he could just slip it in my pocket like it was nothing! He was unbelievable…

"Can I help you?"

"Wha—Oh um, yes, I'd like two tickets to Italy please."

And we were off, halfway across the world to Italy. Maybe I was the one that had lost my mind.

Lilly sat next to be and she looked like she was all about ready to spring out of her seat. She was pointing out the window as the plane ascended above the clouds, her mouth shaped in a tiny "o" and her eyes wide. "Can you believe it, I'm on a plane!" she squealed, "Ninety-six years on this Earth, and this is my first time on a plane."

I looked around us for any listening ears. Lilly's appearance would do her no justice if an eavesdropper happened to hear her talk about being born in 1912. Nobody seemed to be snooping, and who was I to ruin Lilly's fun?

"Look at that!" she gasped. We watched as the earth beneath us became a geometric pattern of green, white and blue as a new morning began to dawn. And for once, surely since the first time I met her, Lilly was speechless.

The question had been burning a hole in the back of my mind all day. I know it was childish, and probably rude, but I couldn't contain my words as they slipped out quietly. "Lilly, you don't have to tell me, I know it's your own business but – why exactly were you changed into a –" I looked around for eavesdroppers again. A gangly man with a salt and pepper beard in the seat behind us looked a little suspicion so I stuttered, "A you know…"

She giggled, "Of course I'll tell you Bella. What part do you want to know?"

"Well I know the mechanics of it and everything, but Edward told me that most people are only changed because they're on the verge of death."

She nodded, quiet serious now, gazing out the window for a moment before turning back towards me.

"You don't have to tell me," I assured her quickly.

"No, no," she mumbled, her eyebrows knitted together and I've never seen her become so serious, "I want to tell you." She took a deep breath, "Edward's right, I was on the verge of death." She looked down at her hands as she told me the rest. "My mother passed away when I was eight, she had a rare disease, the doctors couldn't even pinpoint the cause, or what exactly the disease was. It was like the doctors said she had a cold one day, and by the next week… she was gone." Lilly turned her furrow expression to the window as she whispered, I leaned closer trying to hear her soft flow of words. "My father thought it was my fault, thought I brought some kind of disease home from school and poisoned the whole family. My baby brother Thomas was next. He went over night, we hadn't even known he was sick." I heard Lilly gulp softly, and I took her cold hand in mine. "My father was an alcoholic. So, when it was only me and him left, he beat me a lot. Said it was my fault that Mommy and Thomas were in coffins in the lonely graveyard instead of at home." I cringed slightly as she continued, " One day, I came home with a cold. Nothing like my Mother had had, just a little cough when I forgot to drink enough water. Well, my father came home drunk that night. When he heard me cough from my room, he got mad. He came in and started throwing around my furniture, mumbling things about how I was the devil, sent to ruin him. He started to hit me, and I told him to stop. He told me that I was going to die anyway. That's when he opened our apartment window and threw me out." Lilly was quiet for a few minuets, her face impassive as her eyes followed the rows of trees in an orchard we were passing over.

"That's when Tanya found me. I had passed out from the lose of blood, and didn't wake up until the fire started." I became rigid in my seat, remembering the feeling of fire in my veins, all to well when James had bit my hand. Lilly didn't notice, she went on, "I told her it burned, and she told me that I would be okay, and that she was taking me somewhere safe, and in a few days, the fire would stop."

Lilly fell silent, and I hadn't realized the sky was now fading from it's ebony darkness. I didn't know what to say, I wasn't sure if there were words in the English language that would suit this situation. So I did what my mother did to me when I was little. I gently wrapped my arm around Lilly's back and pulled her head to rest against my shoulder. I smoothed down her hair as she tried to smooth out the wrinkles that penetrated her small forehead.

"Bella, promise me something," she said thoughtfully after a while. The plane was almost completely light now, the rising sun was just now sending an angelic pink glow across the world.

"Anything, Lilly," I whispered, pulling closer her icy skin.

"When we get to Italy, don't let them take you away. I want you to come back to Denali with me. Please? Can you promise me?"

The conversation with Edward the night before rang in my ears. The idea of promises, and how well they are kept. I could feel Lilly, so small against my shoulder, her body solid like stone, waiting for my answer. "Yeah, Lilly," my voice was painfully hoarse from trying to choke back tears "I promise."

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**Sorry, i'm really trying to make my chapters longer! Sometimes it just feels like the right time to stop, and who am I to go against instinct:) Anyway, that chapter gave you alot of backround on Lilly's life. I hoped you liked it and it wasn't too sad. Next chapter will definatley be moving on with the story, I just felt like all the readers should get to know Lilly a little bit more, considering she's becoming a big part of the story :) Well thank you all! Review, please! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Another Chapter?! Lord, i'm on a roll today ;)**

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I eventually fell asleep as the plane circled the world. Lilly had since left the position against my shoulder to look out the window, her nose basically pressed against the glass. The few times that I woke up, I ate what was necessary and quickly succumbed back to sleep. Why sleep choose to find me now, was beyond my comprehension. I woke up when I felt something moving against my pocket. Through my haze I grabbed my vibrating phone out of my pocket and opened it, not conscious enough to remember to check the caller ID.

"Hello," I answered groggily, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. My mouth felt dry and I reached for my water bottle.

"Bella, did I wake you?" My arm recoiled from my water bottle making it clatter loudly to the floor. A few people turned to stare at me, I smiled warily and picked it up. "Bella, what's wrong? Are you, okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied reluctantly. "Absolutely great." I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before, Edward said he would call when he could.

He seemed to hesitate before he spoke, almost like he was trying to decipher my tone, I really wished he wouldn't. "I'm sorry I didn't call last night, I was talking to Alice for a long time."

"She had a vision?" I gasped. I immediately looked around me, a few people were still looking at me strangely. I had to remember to keep my conversation casual and not mention the powers of mythical creatures. I ducked my head listened to my heart beat in my ears. What if she saw me coming, and he was calling to tell me to turn around? I couldn't, I wouldn't.

"Calm down Bella, yes she did but we discovered It was nothing."

I sighed a breath of relief, but then my face twisted, "Why aren't you telling me?"

"Because I can only talk for about two more minuets before Aro will be able to hear me and I have more important things to tell you. Are you listening?"

I pressed the phone closer to my hear, "Yeah," I whispered, "I'm listening."

"Bella, I need you take good care of yourself. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, Bella, take care of yourself, if not for your own sake, mine. I thought about what I said during our last conversation, and I was wrong Bella, unbelievably wrong. I told you I couldn't promise you I'd come back. I said that, hoping that it would hurt less, when I didn't – _if _I didn't come back. But then I realized, I am coming back Bella. Maybe not today or tomorrow, or maybe not in one hundred years, but I _am _coming back. Nothing in this entire world, not even the Voultri, is going to take my wife away from me."

I grasped onto his words as my nails dug holes into the armrest of the plane seat. I felt myself cry silently but couldn't do anything to stop the tears.

"I know we had a deal Bella, that I would change you, but this is real Bella and I'm not having you get hurt. I'm asking as a husband, to take care of yourself, because I am coming back for you." His tone was so strange to me, desperate in way that made it sound like he was choking or crying. But vampires couldn't cry. "I understand if you ask Tanya to change you Bella, she's done it before. I don't care if I come back, and you're a vampire or a human, I'm still going to love you. Do you understand everything i'm saying to you?"

I shook my head back and forth and bit on my lip, the tears had now trickled down my neck, pooling at the collar of my shirt. "I love you," I whispered, because I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't say I understood because I would be lying to him. I knew for sure that flying to Italy after him was not on his Way's-Bella-Should-Take-Care-Of-Herself list.

"I love you too." And the other line went dead. I knew that was the range in which Aro could hear him, and my heart sank. Lilly beside me had heard the entire thing. She did much as I did to her last night. She quietly asked the flight attendant for tissues and preceded in wiping away all my tears as I stared blankly at the seat in front of me. I willed the plane to go faster, I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my body as I realized that every second I sat here, Edward was one step closer to Aro.

Though smaller then me, Lilly gently laid my head down on her petite shoulder. I began to hum my lullaby to myself, but that wasn't even calming me. This plane couldn't land soon enough.

_We are now coming in for a landing, please remain in your seatbelts until the plane as reached it's __destination_

I audibly sighed in relief. Lilly grinned at me, "Ready to do some serious vampire butt kicking?"

I didn't even bother to look around me anymore. Half of the people on the plane already thought I was crazy, so why not give them a show? "They'll be thanking god they can't sleep when we're done with them, nightmares will only bring back unwanted memories of the horrible things we do."

Lilly laughed, "They'll be wishing they could die a simple death when we're done with them!"

We laughed until my sides ached. I don't think what we said was actually funny at all, but the laughing was making me less likely to jump out of the window the second this plane hit the ground.

_Ladies and gentlemen, the plane has landed, you may now remove your seatbelts. Thank you again for choosing our airline to reach your destination. _

Lilly and I were the first ones off the plane. It helped that we didn't have luggage, though it did earn us another strange glares. As we walked briskly threw the airport lobby, I did happen to notice a boy, who looked to be about Lilly's age – well, the age she appears to be – looking at her in awe. I gently elbowed Lilly in the ribs – you think being around vampires for such a long time I would learn to _not _do that – I rubbed my sore elbow and whispered in Lilly's ear, "I think that boy over there is staring at you."

Lilly looked puzzeled as she followed my gaze. The boy looked away quickly, his skin flushed red. Lilly snapped her head back and looked down at the floor, I'm sure that if she could have blushed she would. "He's cute," I smiled, teasing her a little.

"He's human," she said dismayed.

I grimaced, "Hey, look who you're talking to."

She smiled, "You know I didn't mean it like that, Bella."

"I know."

We walked out of the airport, and we were in Italy. The streets buzzed and I grabbed onto Lilly's hand so I wouldn't loose her.

"How are we going to find him?" I yelled over the clangorous people.

"Follow me," she called back, dragging me behind her as

Here I was, in Italy with a ninety-six year old vampire that appeared to be a thirteen year old girl, on a wild goose chase to find the vampire Ilove, and save him from a group of vampires who may or may not want me dead. I hope Edward stuffed an Advil in my pocket along with the ten thousand dollars of cash, this was going to be a long day.

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**Wow, all these wonderful reviews are overwelming! I love it when you guys review every chapter, it shows me what dedicated readers you all are and thats what keeps me writing! Maybe we can even make it to 100 reviews? Oh my god, never would I have imagined such much amazing feedback! Thank you all so much! **


	16. Chapter 16

Lilly dragged me behind her, a little to fast for a human thirteen year old girl, but she was learning. It was easy not to be noticed though, on the hectic streets of Italy that smelled like garlic and pizza, we just appeared to be another pair of over excited tourists. I followed Lilly as we flew down the side alley in between two brick buildings. A man was painting a mural on one of the buildings. It looked like the clock tower that I had found Edward near during our last exciting trip to Italy. I shuddered at the memory and continued to stumble over everything possible as Lilly pulled me towards the chain link fence at the end of the alley.

"Um Lilly, I know this is a bad time to admit this, but uh – I can't climb fences," I whispered to her quickly, peeking back at the Italian man who probably assumed we were a couple of girls playing hide and seek.

Lilly peeked back quickly too and then threw me an evil grin. "Silly Bella, _you _don't have to climb anything."

I didn't like where this was going. I gazed up at the fence that was probably taller then three Lilly's stacked on top of one another. I didn't have time to object either because I was already in Lilly's arms, flying over the fence. The landing on the other side slightly knocked the breath out of me and I gasped. That's when I saw the man look at us, his expression bewildered.

"Come on Bella," Lilly threw me on her back, and I was snatched away by her speed. If that didn't make the man believe that the air in that alley must be intoxicated, I don't know what would.

I soon realized we were in some kind of swamp. "Lilly where are we?" I was beginning to feel inhumanly large while clinging to her small frame.

"We're going the back way to Volterra."

"And you're sure Edward's there?" I asked nervously. My eyes were still sore from crying and I closed them from thick air that pressed against them as Lilly ran.

"He said Aro would be able to hear him, and Aro never leaves Volterra unless absolutely necessary." I could tell Lilly was concentrating hard on staying on the right path but my questions were good at distracting me from the thoughts that I feared most.

"How do you know so much about this place?," I asked Lilly, clearly desperate to not be left alone with my own mind.

She twisted her neck back to look at my quickly and grinned, "I read."

Sooner then I thought possible, I could see the massive towers coming into view, standing lifeless and dull under the pewter clouds. I could see the clock tower as it's hands lulled around its face, the sound ticking inside of me, my heartbeat keeping time with every second, as the hands wavered unsurley.

Unlike the last time I was in Italy, the streets were nearly vacant. It didn't take me long to realize why. It started as a few fat drops, shooting down from the sky only to crash, and seep into the cracks of the Earth. Then it picked up speed, the sky seemed to be shouting almost immediately, almost like it knew I was there. A hurricane, how convenient

"What do we do now?" I asked Lilly, the rain, still a drizzle, as it was caught in the canopy of leaves above our heads.

Lilly wasn't answering me, so I shook her shoulder gently, "Lilly?"

"Bella, look," she whispered.

I flowed her gaze slowly, scared of what I would see. What I saw made me feel like every bone in my body had turned into Jell-O. I felt my chest heaving up and down, but couldn't be sure if I was breathing. It was Edward, and he was wearing a black cloak.

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**A/N: I _was_ orginally going to stop here and give you guys a cliffy but that would have been a really short chapter. And frankly, I was afriad that you would all shoot me :) hah.

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**He was to far away for me to understand his facial expression, with the rain obscuring my vision, but I know he hadn't seen me yet. "Sing a song in your head," I whispered to Lilly. She nodded and closed her eyes to concentrate. We were currently peeking out from behind a fern. I was griping onto the leaves so tight I was surprised when they didn't turn to dust in my hand. 

Edward wasn't alone. Beside him was Felix, though I could not see him clearly, I unmistakably recognized the permanent scowl on his face. They seemed to be looking for something. They were coming closer and closer.

I heard Lilly beside me, quietly humming the song now, her concentration deep.

I never stopped to think that hearing a song being screamed in someone's mind could grab his attention. Which it expediently did. His eyes gazed over the forest vigilantly, a slightly frenzied look on his face, that is.. until he met my eyes.

I was positive that If there was an award for being the first human to give a vampire a heart attack, I would have won along time ago, and then again and again. He immediately looked confused and desperate to reach me somehow. But that expression faded quickly, and left in it's place were coal black eyes and hatred, and possibly fear.

I didn't know if he was breathing, because I sure wasn't. He made a miserable attempt to compose himself as he pointed the opposite direction, leading Felix away.

Lilly gave me a moment to listen to my heart as it throttled around in my chest. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know how to move, and I didn't know what to think.

"Are you sure you want to go after him, Bella? I doesn't look like he wants you to," Lilly whispered nervously.

She was right. What if he had a plan already and I was ruining it? Surely Jane would have captured me, even with Edward in the palm of her little hand, she knew Carlisle would be more then happy change me. But when she had me, she wouldn't need Edward anymore, right? Though Edward did say Aro only agreed to Jane's plan because he would get Edward in return. So maybe I was stupid to come to Italy, though there still was a chance…

I was currently in a heated battle between my brain and my heart, though I knew my heart would win in the long run, that I would do whatever it took to save Edward. My heart always won. If my brain _ever _won, I doubt I would be married to vampire right now.

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**Almost to 100 reviews! Ah, I feel like screaming! Thanks everybody, you're truly amazing!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Over 100 reviews! And they're all amazingly sweet! I swear at sat there grinning at them for like an hour :) hah. Thank you all ( wipes away imaginary tear of joy)**

**Alright, back to bussiness**

**In one of the reviews tayalysse3 asked if i was going to do Edward's POV. And you know, I thought at the beginning of this I was just going to stay in Bella's POV, where I feel most comfortable, but I thought about it and decided to give Edward a chance to tell you whats going on since some of you have of started to hate him in this story! Hah, sorry! So, maybe I'm not good at writing Edward's POV, this might be a one time thing? I dont know, you decide. Well this is now freakishly long, so I'm going to stop and let you read the story! Happy reading :)

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**Edwards POV**

Was she absolutely insane!? Suicidal!? Trying to give me a heart attack!? Did she not listen to me when I spoke to her on the phone? I had told her to take care of herself, in what parallel universe did that translate into "run to Italy and get yourself killed?"

As I hastily led Felix away I held my breath, as if that would stop _him _from smelling her sweet blood that swelled in the air so thickly, it was unbelievable that I had not noticed her earlier. I ran now, urging Felix along as if that would stop him from hearing the heartbeat that I could hear so clear, so familiar, pounding in my hearts like it was my own.

Part of my body seemed to tug the other way, tearing itself away to be with, Bella. The other half argued, saying that I now needed to proceed with my plan faster, before Bella did anything reckless.

Of course I was aware that _if _she did anything reckless – which would most likely be the case if my plan did not stay on schedule – I would be at fault. Every time these dreadful things happen – happen because of what I am – Bella claims I am not to blame. Does she not see the pattern? That I try to keep her safe, try with every molecule of my being, and yet the monsters like myself interfere. I could make a list for her if absolutely necessary. Towards the top would be, James, Victoria, Laurent, The Volturi.

Suddenly behind me I could faintly hear Bella's sweet voice. Who was she talking to? I yearned to look over my shoulder, and maybe catch a glimpse, make sure she wasn't in danger, but I remembered Felix. Could he not hear her voice? Clearly the voice of an angle. I pitied anyone who couldn't hear it.

"I'm going back now," I told him bleakly, sprinting ahead. There was no way I was loosing self control, become selfish and try to find Bella, just to see her for a minuet. Along with me would only come the trouble that rode on my back.

"Good, maybe he'll bite your head off first," Felix muttered. Aro had sent Felix and I wandering around Italy in search of "food." And by no means was Aro asking Felix and I to fetch him a plate of spaghetti. The way Aro – and all vampires in Volterra for that matter – feasted made my entire body smolder to the core. Aro had expected Felix and I to bring back _humans _for his meal. Heidi, who normally went on these little hunts, was busy today. But, something tells me that Aro purposely forced me to partake in something that he knows fills my body with rage.

The whole thing was absolutely intolerable. Every time we came across a human, I would look at their face and see Bella, her innocence, her warmth, and I would tell Felix that I could tell by their thoughts that they wouldn't follow us. Felix wasn't exactly the _brightest_ vampire I had ever met. He seemed to trust me, and I questioned if maybe he had thought Aro and I were some kind of allies, considering he had immediately sent me up at high ranks, ranks that Felix had worked centuries for. But as for allies, we were the opposite actually.

At this point, I figure the only way to defeat the Volturi, is to get to their core, and then work my way out. If that meant throwing a black cloak over my head and not hunting, letting my eyes turn blacker then they've ever been, if I had to do this all to be with Bella, you better bet, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

**Bella POV**

I sat behind the fern with Lilly for what felt like hours as the rain poured down heavy, plastering my clothes to my body, so much that the little silver phone most likely had its own swimming pool in my pocket.

My heart felt like it had claws, trying to rip itself out of my body and go after Edward itself. And my body stayed limp, letting it try.

"Bella, come on, lets at least go find shelter," Lilly urged, her hand on my shoulder no longer felt cold, the icy rain had already seeped into my bones.

I shook my head, gently back and forth, eventually I forgot what I was saying no to.

Lilly sighed, talking louder over the deafening sound of the rain, but I couldn't hear her, just the pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

It was a strange feeling, the feeling of loneliness, though I got a good dose of it when Edward had left me senior year. This was a completely different kind of loneliness. This was the feeling I heard quoted many different times before, but never understood the true meaning, _so close, yet so far away. _

Eventually Lilly gave up trying to get me to move and plopped down in the mud puddle I was no drowning in.

"I'm not going to move you, Bella," she said confidently, "I'll sit here with you in the pouring rain all you want, though _I'm _not the one who can get hypothermia."

Was she talking Japanese? I couldn't understand a word she said, I just nodded mutely, staring down at my hands as the pooled over with water.

Eventually I poured the water out of my hands and stared again. I think that was the last straw for Lilly though. "Listen to me, Bella!" she practically screamed, her hands clutched my shoulders, "This is not the girl I heard about in all of Alice's stories! This is not the girl who fell in love with a vampire despite all logic! This is not the girl that's been in numerous life threatening situations and can still find a way to make me laugh! I don't know where she went, but when you find her, tell her that she has a vampire coven to crush and a husband to save."

I stared at Lilly, her eyes were darker then the last time I looked at them, and they were intense. I felt my mouth open slightly to speak but then I closed it. She raised her eyebrow meaningfully. "I-I don't know if I can Lilly."

"Did you think that you would defeat James? Did you think that you would defeat Victoria, Laurent? An army of newborn vampires?"

I shook my head and felt my shoulders slump foward, "That wasn't me, that was Edward."

"Alright, so maybe it was Edward. Isn't it _your _turn to save the day Bella," she smiled.

I smiled remembering a conversation I had with Edward a long time ago, "I did say that he can't _always _be superman."

"Well, Bella it's up to you. You can tie on your cape right now, or," she sighed, "you can cower behind this ugly bush and be a wet Lois Lane. What'll it be?"

I glanced back at Volterra, biting my lip. I stood up and Lilly did the same. I looked back at her and held out my palm. She looked puzzled. "What?"

"Well, hand over the cape," I grinned.

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**I forgot to say thank you to tayalysse3!! Sorry if his POV was bad, I don't think i've ever written from a boy's point of view, or vampire in this case, haha.**

**So let me know how all of this went in your fabulous reviews! I can't wait :) **


	18. Chapter 18

**Bella POV**

If I wasn't scared out of my skin at the moment, I would be thinking about the appropriateness of playing the mission impossible song, as Lilly and I slid along shadows, holding our breaths at the faintest sounds. I could almost picture us in shiny black spandex, creeping along the outskirts of Volterra as if we were spies, fulfilling an important assignment. Unfortunately, we just looked like drowned cats.

"Lilly, I'm never going to get in, they'll smell me," I whispered. We were back on the streets of Italy, right outside of Volterra, crouched behind a garbage can. The rain had let up a little, not like it helped, I was undoubtedly going to be soaked the rest of my life.

Lilly looked around and then turned back to me and grinned, "I have an idea. Wait here."

She was gone one heartbeat, and back the next. "Here, rub this on your skin."

I took the little bottle out of her palm and held in between two fingers. "Garlic? Seriously?"

She nodded and then rolled her eyes, "Hollywood," she mumbled crossly, "Vampires don't find the smell of garlic insufferable, Bella, we can't smell it at all actually."

"Then why would I—"

"Because garlic covers up the smell of anything near it," she explained hastily, taking the bottle and opening it herself. She poured into her hand and sniffed it cautiously, "Yep, this will work perfectly." She began to rub the white powder down my wet arms and then in my hair.

"Yuck," I muttered wrinkling my nose.

She ignored me and started patting in down on my neck, "We just have to make sure not to get_ too _close to anyone, they'll still hear your heart beat."

I grimaced and took the remaining powder in the bottle and poured it on every inch of my clothes.

When we were down dousing me with garlic, I actually looked paler, and smelt like a dirty sock. "Can you smell me?"

She sniffed the air warily and then grinned, "Nope."

We both seemed to take a deep breath at the same time and looked circumspectly back at Volterra.

"It's now or never," I muttered.

"Let's go," Lilly smiled.

She let me climb onto her back and we were soon in front of the same sewer like hole that I had stood over many months ago, I felt like I was suddenly stuck in a reoccurring nightmare.

"I'll catch you, Bella," she whispered, looking around before she disappeared into the hole. Knowing myself, I carefully sat at the edge of the hole – preventing any form of tripping – and held my breath as I dropped in.

The tunnels were colder then I remembered, or maybe the fact that I was wet made the temperature feel like it dropped thirty degrees.

My teeth immediately began to chatter and Lilly shushed me , "Bella, they'll hear you," she whispered.

I nodded and clamped my teeth together firmly. My body still fidgeted erratically. I don't think I had ever been this cold in my life. Sensing this, Lilly scooped me into her arms quickly, and dashed silently down the long hallway.

**Edward POV**

It was here, waiting in my room, that I sat on the stone ground, and concentrated all my energy on thoughts of Bella. Did she come here because Tanya had finally pushed her over the edge? I could understand that. I was dull thinking that she would be comfortable in a situation like that. I should have left her with Carlisle and Esme. They would have taken care of Bella and not have let her get away, though that was the first place the Volturi would have checked.

A thunderous pounding took place at my door. I sighed, knowing exactly what would happen, what I've been dreading since I arrived.

I swiftly rose and the door flung open. Felix smiled wickedly as he pushed in the thing that would ruin me, the slight thing that would no doubt not live to see tomorrow. Felix pushed in a frail human, a young boy who looked no older then fourteen. He was rank and seemed more like a sewer rat then a human. His clothes were rags and he wasn't wearing shoes. I didn't need to read his mind to know the boy was petrified. His eyes were dark, as dark as mine were when I was thirsty, and mine were pitch black right now.

"Aro proposed that we start the _vegetarian_ out with something small," Felix laughed darkly.

Aro was all but pleased when I returned without his dinner. Luckily, since I had returned early, he still had time to send someone else on his ghastly hunts.

**"**Thank you Felix," I mumbled as he shoved the boy past me. He slammed the door shut, as he snickered and disappeared into the shadows.

I swiftly sank down to where I had been before Felix interrupted me. I fell back on the colorless concrete, closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers. Even doing so I could hear the boys fear being screamed in his head, and though I was not Jasper, it was like I could feel the rays of fright, radiating from his filthy skin.

"I'm not going to harm you," I whispered to the boy, trying hard to convince myself more then him. The boy didn't answer. I opened one eye to see him pushed up against the corner of the small room, his knees wobbling like they no longer had strength to support him.

"What is your name?" I asked him quietly, attempting to show him that I wasn't about to slaughter him.

"Lucas," he whispered so softly that if I was human I would have had no hope in hearing him.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I told him, trying to calm myself.

His dark eyes suddenly looked like two pools of ebony tar, they know longer looked fearful, no, they now displayed a completely different kind of emotion, anger. "Are you going to kill me?" He asked straight out, his words surprised me, his mind had been thinking of ways to escape.

I closed me eyes. Behind my eyelids was Bella, the image of her heart shaped face, smiling and filing with blush made my rigid body melt. I could almost hear her soft giggle in my ear. "No Lucas," I told him calmly, my eyes still closed as I gazed at Bella, "I'm not going to kill you."

**Bella POV**

This is exactly what I had been dreading. A figure in a long black cloak was sauntering down the hallway, and I was a human covered in garlic.

"Hide behind your hair and look scared," Lilly hissed quietly as the figure approached us. Still in Lilly's arms I bent my head forward, letting my hair fall over my face. I didn't need any help with the looking scared part.

"What do we have here?" I heard a voice question menacingly. I sounded like Felix but I couldn't be sure. If it _was _Felix, and Felix was here, and Edward had just been with Felix, that means Edward would be close by. My heart began to go into overtime in my chest, surely everyone in Volterra was able to hear it.

"I have orders from Aro to bring this to the east room," Lilly said with so much authority in her small voice that even I believed her.

"He did, did he?" Felix mocked.

"Yes," Lilly said, "Matter of fact, he sent me because he said some of his most _trustworthy _at hand, have been slacking."

I heard Felix snort, but surprised when I felt Lilly continue to walk. I peeked out from behind my hair and waited for Felix to disappear from the hallway. "H-how'd you d-do that?"

Lilly picked up speed when she realized I was still an icicle in her arms, she smiled down at me but didn't answer my question, "_Now _are you happy that you let me come with you to Italy?"

I laughed, "Lilly if it wasn't f-for you, I would still probably be Alaska, solidified in a glacier by n-now."

She smiled and shrugged, "With your luck, I believe it."

I rolled my eyes but didn't try to deny it.

"Are we almost there Lilly?" I didn't exactly know where "there" was, but I desperately hoped it included Edward. I swear that if I closed my eyes, I could smell his intoxicating sent. Did that mean we were getting closer?

"I'm not sure Bella. I know that their rooms are down the next hallway, if we plan it right, we might get there without anymore questioning. Not everyone's as brainless as the last guy," she muttered.

"But vampire's don't sleep. Why would they need rooms?"

Lilly peered at me warily, as if to ask, "do you really want to know?"

I thought about it for a few minuets, remembering where Lilly told Felix she was taking me, "Oh," I gasped. "Food," I whispered, "how could I forget?"

Lilly clenched her teeth and we turned right at the next fork in the hallway.

**Edward POV**

I lost count of how long I laid there staring the gray ceiling. Eventually I just closed my eyes and let my mind melt like butter with thoughts of Bella. Suddenly I could hear her heart and her soft breathing, all so strongly, if I didn't know better I would think she was in the room with me.

I could almost hear her whisper my name and I could picture her soft lips forming the words, opening my eyes again was hopeless, I was succumbed into the image.

"Edward," her voice hissed. My brow furrowed as I stared at the image of Bella in my mind. She was smiling, so where had this voice come from?

"Edw-ward, where are you?" The voice cried again.

"Sh, not so loud Bella, they'll hear you," another voice warned softly.

That's when my eyelids flew open, and in a heartbeat I was at the thick wooden door, listening intently.

I heard her voice once more, just barley above a silent breath, "Edward where are you?" And that's all it took for me to rip the thick wooden door off it's hinges, and run faster then I've ever ran before.

* * *

**Eh, sorry about such a boring chapter :/ This was more of a transistion kind of thing, bringing us to the real action in the next chapter :) I honestly woke up last night at like 2 and had the greatest idea for the next chapter I wrote it down, hah, i'm so exicted! Hope you are too! Next chapter will probably up soon since I absoulutly can't wait to write it! Remember to review, they make me grin :D Thank you! **


	19. Chapter 19

**All in Bella POV**

"Sh, not so loud Bella, they'll hear you," Lilly warned me, her eyes squinted in concentration trying to pick up sounds.

"Edward where are you?" I breathed hopelessly, my head dropping and my eyes closing. All in that moment I felt so deeply helpless that I could feel the warm tears building up in my eyes, and it felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I wanted so strongly, so desperately to be on the black leather couch in the massive white house, lost in the dense woods. I wanted the familiar granite arms wrapped around my waist as classical music floated through the air like clouds. I wanted the velvet voice, close to my ear, temporarily making the music sound dreadful in comparison. I wanted it so bad that I suddenly heard his voice, "Bella," he breathed, as if he had been suffering, and my name itself eased his pain.

That only made the tears spill over as I laughed softly to myself, now I was hearing his voice just like the time he left.

"Bella," this time it was Lilly's voice, she sounded like she was on the verge of jumping up and down.

I chuckled, it wasn't a humorous or amusing chuckle, just a hopeless one. I opened my eyes to look at Lilly, but she was staring straight ahead, a ridiculous smile on her face.

"Lilly why are you –"

I was interrupted by myself, well more by my heart for that matter, which took it upon itself to come to a complete stop and then change it's mind and beat rapidly.

"Bella," he whispered again. The strangest look on his face, like he was deciding whether to scold me for following him to Italy or hold me and never let go. Needless to say, I made the decision for him. I jumped from Lilly's arms and ran to Edward, faster then I've run to anything in my entire life. I suddenly didn't care if James, Victoria, Jane and Aro all suddenly came around the corner with machine guns, nothing was stopping me.

I more or less, flung myself into Edward's waiting arms. If we still had our little boundaries, I would definitely be breaking them. I jumped up, wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso. I felt one of his hands press against the small of my back, the other on the back of my head pulling me closer. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, and took deep breath, my heart felt like it was on fire. I knew that the choke-hold I had around his neck would have suffocated a normal person, but I didn't care, I just held on tighter.

I was amazing that I couldn't care less that I was wet, freezing and smelled like garlic. It was amazing that I couldn't care less that Edward was in a black cloak and Lilly was behind us. It was amazing how suddenly the world seemed to seep away, leaving behind Edward and I.

Edward must have moved – though I didn't feel a thing – because we were suddenly in a small room made of concrete. I kept my eyes safely buried in his shoulder, for fear that his face would renew the tears that just stopped flowing.

Edward had used the material of his cloak to wipe the area between my shoulder and my neck – the only place he could reach due to my embrace – free of rain and garlic, and kissed it softly, over and over again. We didn't speak, we didn't need words right now.

"If they're coming shouldn't we run?" I heard Lilly ask desperately. I must have missed part of the conversation.

I felt Edward shake his head back and forth slowly, "They've already set guards up at every entrance, now they're just giving us time to be frightened."

I heard Lilly let out a huff. My curiosity was getting the better of me, but I definitely wasn't about to move from where I was.

"Wh-who's c-c-coming?" I chattered quietly against Edward's skin. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut, Edward – being one hundred times stronger then me – gently unhooked my arms from the hold around his neck as he sat down with me on a wooden bench along the wall. He saw the look of disbelief on my face as he took me off his lap and placed me on the bench.

"I'm sorry love, but I'd rather bring you home with all your fingers _on _your body," he smiled crookedly, nodding down to my hands that were shaking violently. I pushed them into my pockets and placed myself back into his lap. He sighed, but didn't argue.

"Who's coming," I demanded, with much more control over my voice.

"Aro, and most likely Jane," he grimaced. Apparently they got a little suspicious when they heard me rip my door off it's hinges. He smiled sheepishly. That's when I noticed how black his eyes were, so black I couldn't tell the iris from the pupil.

I pulled my eyes from them, they were hypnotizing in way, and the last thing I needed right now was to fell light headed. I looked around the small room and saw Lilly pacing back and forth, her forehead wrinkled in deep thought. Behind her, was a boy that I had not noticed before, most likely because he looked like he desperately wanted to become part of the wall the he was leaning against. The boy looked like he could possibly live on the streets from the way his clothes hung limp on his body. His skin was a natural tan so he obviously wasn't a vampire, but like Edward, his eyes resembled a moonless night.

"Who's that?" I whispered to Edward. I was still looking at the boy who stared straight ahead, as if he was recovering from shell shock.

When Edward didn't answer I looked up to met his eyes. His lips set into a hard line and he looked at my hands, "Lucas... my dinner."

Realization took longer to set in when I was about to face my possible doom, "Oh," I whispered.

As if on cue, Aro seeped into the room, his presence alone seemed to make the air tense. Edward scooped me up and helped me to stand in the middle of the room with him as Aro stood a feet in from the doorway.

"If it isn't our little troublemaker," Aro greeted me, his withered lips pushed up into a smile, "Bella, it's so nice to see you again."

I didn't answer and his eyes roamed the room, "And who's this?" He asked looking at Lilly.

"Your worst nightmare," Lilly muttered. Edward shot her a gentle warning glare but Aro just laughed, amused.

"My worst nightmare seems to have a little human friend here too," Aro said, pointing to Lucas. Aro began to shake his head sadly, "I question what went wrong with you vampires. Didn't you're mothers ever tell you not to play with your food?" His voice was low and husky and his golden eyes settled on mine.

Edward noticeably took one step forward so that I was half way behind his back.

"Oh Edward don't be absurd, I wouldn't hurt your little human … though Jane has other plans."

Edward growled, filling the room with the deafening rips exploding from his chest. Aro didn't falter, he just seemed more amused.

When Edward was done, Aro continued, "You know Edward, when I discovered Bella was still human, I felt betrayed that you hadn't held your side of the bargain. I'm sure you remember, correct?"

Edward glared at Aro, his lips curling back from his teeth. I could only imagine that it was due to what Aro was thinking because he hadn't moved towards me.

"Well, as I discussed the matter with Jane, we discovered a kind of … convenience, in your choice to leave her human. "

I was pressed so close to Edwards side that I could feel the growls vibrating in his chest.

"Perhaps she would like to explain," Aro smiled, "Jane dear?"

Jane was suddenly standing beside Aro, I must have blinked.

"Bella," she purred, her eyes looked like they were on fire as she glared at me.

I felt Edward's entire body tense as he took half a step forward so I was completely behind him.

Jane's laughter filled the room like mind numbing smoke. I peered around Edward's arm and watched as her mouth turned up into a malicious grin. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Edward, I wouldn't want Aro to lose his best hunter," she said in a mocking tone.

I could tell Edward was trying extremely hard to keep his composure but the muscles in his arm under my hand bulged as his fingers curled into a fist.

"I bet you're wondering what brought all of this on," Jane smiled, "why I suddenly decided that Bella here, should remain human. Well, I thought about it, and realized that Bella has too special a power as a human already, and we wouldn't want to risk losing that special gift by changing her, know would we?"

Nobody answered her, but I wasn't how much longer I could hold my breath.

"So I've decided to take it into my own hands -- Bella, that is."

"Your hands," Edward yelled, "aren't touching her," he hissed the last part.

"If your physic sister were here Edward, we might actually have an answer to that, but since she's not, I guess were just going to have to wait for an outcome," her eyes narrowed and her lips continued to curl up.

Edward clenched his teeth and I could feel him shift to the balls of his feet, seconds away from attacking Jane, I assumed.

"Bella," Jane purred again, "Why don't you come out from behind there. I'm sure you of all people would feel terrible if Edward had to go through that pain I have the power to give him, and it was all your fault."

I felt my mouth gape open, but I still wasn't breathing. I tried to pry my hand from Edward's arm but he was faster and clamped it down with his icy hand, "Don't move, Bella," he whispered, never taking his eyes off of Jane.

"B-but –" I tried to say but he glowered at me quickly.

"Don't move, Bella," he commanded more fiercely.

"Demanding isn't he?" Jane smiled, her expression amused. "Though I'm sure he'll regret it, Bella."

She looked back at Edward, and narrowed her eyes. It one swift, blurry movement, I was cradled in Edward's arms. I looked up confused as he stared intently at Jane, not saying a word.

Jane laughed, "My power doesn't work on her Edward, but that does not mean you can use her as a shield."

Edward smirked back, I watched as his eyes slowly turned to me. He lowered his head, to the crook between my shoulder and my neck, he looked like he was about kiss me. That was until his lips curled back, displaying two rows of shiny white teeth.

I couldn't believe it, he was going to change me, right then and there. My head was spinning sickeningly and I gripped onto his shirt for support. I felt his teeth graze across my neck, though not breaking any skin, they gently traveled to my ear, "Don't move a muscle, Bella," he whispered against my ear. His teeth traveled back down to the bottom of my neck.

Obeying him was nearly impossible as I continued to shiver and simply breathing was making my chest heave up and down.All the blood in my body seemed to flow to the one spot positioned beneath his teeth, and my heart felt like it was experiencing a seizure.

"You probably think you're clever," Jane hissed, obviously done with playing the calm, menacing little girl. "Do you think that will stop me?"

Aro tapped Jane on the shoulder and she cringed before turning around to face him. "Actually dear, if you make him move a muscle, his teeth will most likely break the skin."

Edward's mouth was still open wide against my skin and I could tell he wasn't breathing.

Jane turned back to us, her shoulders were slumped forward as if she was about to leap at us. Then suddenly she smiled again, "That's just a chance I'm going to have to take."

I could feel a scream boiling in my throat though it never made it there, as Jane narrowed her eye's at Edward.

"Lilly now," he commanded pulling his teeth away from my neck.

In a heartbeat, Lilly was in front of us, her hands in little fists at her side, her head slightly forward like she was concentrating really hard.

Jane narrowed her eyes more until they became little slits in her face. They finally opened wide with bewilderment, "What's this ?" She shrieked

"This," Edward responded in his velvety voice, "Is Lilly. She can block mind powers."

Jane hissed and bared her teeth, I could picture Lilly smiling back.

"Interesting," I heard Aro whisper from behind Jane. Jane looked back and forth between us and Aro, a mystified look on her contorted face. "You know Jane, this little one has great potential. She also proves that Bella could still contain the power she possess now when she is changed, " Aro told her, his eyes roamed from me to Lilly.

Jane's mouth hung open as she stared at Aro. "But…" she trailed off, speechless.

"Lilly is it?" Aro asked Lilly, completely ignoring Jane.

I watched as Lilly remained motionless.

"How would you like to join us?"

"Never," Lilly sneered.

Aro laughed again, "Aggressive, are we?"

Lilly growled, though her growl was much less menacing then Edward's or Jane's.

Aro, threw his head back in laughter. "You vegetarian vampire's are really something else," he mused. He then put his hand on Jane's shoulder. "Dinner is waiting for us in the dining room, dear."

Jane's expression became so twisted that I would have laughed if I was able to breathe. "You're just going to let them _go_." She asked appalled.

"Well, yes," Aro frowned confused, "We will check up to make sure Bella is changed, of course," he looked at Edward who nodded once, "Other then that, I see nothing more that we can do."

Jane opened her mouth, but nothing came out, she was speechless. "Let's go, Jane," Aro scolded, "Felix is getting testy."

Jane took her last seconds to glare at me, "You're delusional if you think this is the last you'll see of me," she spat turning towards the door.

"See you soon, Bella, Edward, Lilly," Aro nodded at each of us, and then he turned, and walked away.

We stood in the complete silence for a few moments before Lilly turned around and grinned, "Time to go."

Edward chuckled, "I agree."

Lilly tugged a very confused Lucas out of the room, and I gazed up at Edward. "Did you have fun being superman?" He asked, smiling crookedly.

I sighed, "I was a pitiful superman. My cape ripped in half before the battle even began."

"Really? I didn't notice a cape at all. I guess I just couldn't make it past your beautiful face."

I blushed and hid my face in his shirt. He chuckled and kissed the place his teeth had been before.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," he murmured against my skin.

"You're already forgiven," I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his icy lips.

When I broke away to breathe, Lilly appeared at the door, "Let's go Mr. Lion and Mrs. Lamb," she complained, a smile on her face.

Edward looked at me, his eyebrow raised.

"Alice," I sighed.

He nodded and ignored Lilly to kiss me once more, before we left Volterra, once and for all.

* * *

**How'd you like it!? I personally thought it was pretty intense :) Hah. I'm truly sorry to announce that the next chapter will most likely be the last. I know, that went really quick :( (sigh) Anyway, I hope you review this chapter, it's one of my favorites and I had loads of fun writing it! Thank you everybody! **


	20. Chapter 20

The rain had cleared up by the time we made it back onto the streets of Italy. Edward had since, taken off the black cloak and used it as a blanket to protect me from his icy arms.

The sky was still a steely gray and I could feel myself drifting off as the moist air pressed down on me.

"Edward," I asked, hardly coherent, "I was wondering…"

"Yes, love?"

I yawned once before continuing, "Why did Aro let us go us go easily, it was like he suddenly didn't even care."

Edward chuckled, "I think I have a pretty good guess." He smiled pushed his chin forward indicating something in front of me. I turned my head to find an over excited Alice, a smiling Jasper, a grinning Emmett, and a impassive Rosalie.

My eyes widened, "What are you guys doing here?"

Alice laughed and skipped forward, "You really didn't think we would let you and Edward get slaughtered in Italy did you?"

I wrinkled my forehead, trying to concentrate, though my eye lids felt like heavy bricks. "So you knew I was coming to Italy the whole time?" I glanced up at Edward quickly who was glaring at Alice.

Alice very maturely stuck out her tongue, "Yes. But I didn't tell Mr. Worrywart here because I saw it all work out nicely, and he would have tried to ruin it."

"And Jasper. You used your power on Aro…" I trailed off.

Jasper smiled, "Yes, I'm sorry it didn't have nearly the same effect on Jane."

"It S'okay," I yawned, and they all giggled, making my face flush.

Emmett stepped up next to Alice, "Hey Bella," He greeted ruffling my hair with his brawny hand, he suddenly pulled it back with a disgusted look on his face, "Whoa Bella, did someone mistake you for a piece of bread or something." He was referring to the garlic that was originally sprinkled for my own protection.

They all laughed at that too, even Rosalie, I frowned, "Okay, enough fun at my expense."

The laughter died down I looked around, "Where's Lilly?"

Alice pointed to a little clothes shop behind us. Sure enough, inside I could see Lilly holding items of clothing up against a very confused looking Lucas.

"Alice, she truly is a mini-you," I sighed.

Alice beamed, "I know! Isn't it great?"

I yawned once more and laid my head gently against Edward's chest.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep, because the next time I woke up I was on a plane. The plane was dark with the exception of a few dim reading lamps that some passengers had on overhead. I was slumped against Edward's side, his head dropped to my eye level when he saw my eyelids flutter. 

"You can go back to sleep, Bella," he whispered, his voice itself making my entire body tingle, "It's the middle of the night."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his torso. "I'm not tired anymore."

He didn't sigh or argue, he just smiled. I pressed my forehead against his side and breathed in. He chuckled and kissed my forehead. I suddenly realized no longer resembled a piece of Italian bread. "What happened to the garlic and … who changed my clothes?"

Edward rolled his eyes, a beautiful smile on his face, "Do you even need to ask?"

I glanced a few rows back to see Alice smile at me, I smiled back and mouthed a 'thank you.'

I was about to turn back to Edward when I caught Lilly talking to Lucas – who had been somewhat forced on the plane with Lilly after she had found out he didn't have a home. But mostly because he let her turn him into a manikin at the clothes shop. "That's right," I heard her say, "We don't sleep _at all_."

Lucas stared at her, completely stunned.

"Um, Lilly?" I whispered, leaning over the aisle to get her attention.

"Yeah Bella?"

"Are you sure a _plane _is the right place to be explaining this to Lucas?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

She pouted her lips in innocence, "Edward told _you _in a _car. _What's the difference?"

I grimaced and turned back to Edward, "Am I the only one who's bothered by the fact that Alice not only sees, but passes on the personal things about us that occur in her visions?"

He chuckled and glanced back at Alice who in return stuck out her tongue again, "It'll take a few decades, but you'll get used to it," he promised.

I groaned and hid my face in his chest. A few moments of comfortable silence passed as I tried to think of what to say.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled softly.

"What are you talking about Bella?"

"Aren't you mad at me?" I muttered, suddenly wishing I hadn't brought it up.

"Why in the world would I be mad at you?"

"When I first saw you at Volterra, I could see it in your eyes when you noticed me, you were angry," I whispered.

He sighed and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "I wasn't mad at you Bella, I was mad at myself for once again putting you in danger."

"You say that a lot," I retorted.

"Because it's true."

We glowered at each other for a long minuet. His eyes were still pitch black, his face was sunken in at the hollows of his face, the skin beneath his eyes were bruise like shadows. It was unbelievable how he could still look like a male model.

"No, it's not true," I finally said. He opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him, "Wait – let me explain." He pressed his lips into a thin line, and his eyes narrowed. "It's not true because I'm your wife now Edward whether you like it or not. " I suppressed a smile, teasing him a bit, knowing exactly how much he really _did_ like it, "And isn't the term, 'what's yours is mine and what's mine is yours,' usually associated with marriage?"

He nodded once, concentrating hard on my expression, trying to see where I was going with this. "So it's never going to be just one person's fault anymore Edward. It's like being part of a team now, no one player can take all the blame when one player takes all the glory. We share equal blame, and equal glory."

He considered that briefly and the smiled, "Does this condition also give me free reign over your vehicle?"

I rolled by eyes, "You never give up do you?"

He chuckled, "Nope."

I sighed, pressed my sore eyes against his cool skin. "I love you Bella," He whispered, his lips suddenly against my ear.

I tried to stifle a yawn, "I love you Edward."

He chuckled and pressed his lips to the hollow behind my ear, and let the notes of my lullaby, vibrate against my soft skin.

* * *

The airport was much like the experience we had when Edward and I stepped off the plane the first time we returned from Italy, but this time beside Carlisle and Esme was the Denali Coven. I quickly hid my face against Edward's side, terrified of their reaction when they realized I was the one who had let Lilly come with me in the first place. He sensed my fear and wrapped his arm around me, squeezing my shoulder gently. 

"Lilly!" I heard Irene yelp as she dashed over to Lilly, smothering her in kisses.

"I'm fine Mom," Lilly laughed, rolling her eyes towards Lucas, his hand placed safely in hers.

Esme and Carlisle approached us next. "I do get the strange feeling of Déjà vu," Esme mused, taking Edward and I into one hug.

"Thank you again, Bella," Carlisle smiled, sneaking a glance at Edward who nodded his head a fraction of an inch, answering a unspoken question.

"Your welcome, but I did absolutely nothing," I sighed.

"Absolutely nothing?" Lilly exclaimed coming up behind me. "Bella you climbed out of a window, sneaking away from a house filled with vampires, hiked across Alaska , sat in the mud in a swamp, let me put garlic in you hair and then faced the most powerful group of vampires in the world, and you think you did _nothing_!?"

"Alright, well I did some things," I muttered, blush returning to my cheeks as I stared at the airport's white floor. Everybody laughed and I just turned a deeper shade of scarlet.

I suddenly felt a pair of petite cold hands grasp onto mine, I looked up in surprise to see none other then Tanya. She looked into my eyes, the strangest expression on her face. She looked guilty.

"Bella, I can't thank you enough for bringing Lilly back safely, I know she can be a handful," she turned to smile at Lilly who was currently in deep conversation with Lucas, her hands flying in the air with impossible speed. I laughed and turned back to Tanya, but her expression was still pained and serious, "I was wondering if you would forgive me Bella." I tried not to make it obvious as I peered down to her left hand, opening my mouth in surprise when I noticed the ring was gone. I snapped it shut quickly and looked back at Tanya. She noticed what I had been staring at and continued, "I've been more then rude to you ever since I met you Bella. I did things that I know are unforgivable, and I'm very sorry. To you to Edward," she looked up at Edward who nodded. She then reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, placing it in my hand and bending my fingers back over it. "Here," she smiled half-heartedly, "You were supposed to receive this, not me. You don't have to read it now though." She smiled, "Am I half-way forgiven?"

I giggled, partly from the joy of not being completely hated, "You're _completely_ forgiven Tanya."

"Thank you, Bella," she whispered as she pulled me into a hug.

When she pulled away she smiled and waved, "See you two back home," and walked past us to say hello to Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie.

I took a deep breath and collapsed against Edward's side. He responded by cradling me effortlessly in his arms. "You look tired, Bella."

"Yeah, making amends with people tends to makes me exhausted."

He laughed. "Ready to go home?"

"Home," I mused. Thinking about my earlier confusion of the word, how so many places could mean a home, and that's when I realized I was wrong. Those places were all just 'houses', my 'home' was where I lived blissfully with Edward for the rest of eternity, "Yeah," I smiled, "lets go there."

* * *

**I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I decided to add a very short Epilogue after, so please go read the next page too! Thanks! **


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

****

"Bella, come here," I heard Edward laugh from the kitchen.

I dropped the book I had been reading, and ran from the living room, stubbing my toe on the ridiculous Bella-prove coffee table and hopping the rest of the way in pain. "Yeah, Edward?" I asked leaning against the counter to inspect my damaged toe. "Ouch," I muttered as it began to throb.

He smiled and picked me up and placed me on the counter top as he held my swollen toe in his cool hand. The pain seized almost immediately and I heard myself sigh in contentment. His smile expanded and he pointed out the window that was behind my back. I twisted my neck and laughed out loud.

"Lilly," I gasped between giggles. Outside I could see Lilly flying by, back and forth, an extremely terrified Lucas clung to her back.

She stopped suddenly, laughing as he trembled like a newborn puppy on her back.

"Well doesn't that look familiar," I laughed turning back to Edward.

"Mhmm," he mused coming closer so I could wrap my arms around his neck.

"Maybe someday Lucas will even have his own little vampire sweetheart," I smiled.

"And maybe someday Lilly will have a very cute," he tapped my nose with his pointer finger, "little human, to make her dead heart beat once again." And with that, he lowered his ear to chest, and we both listened to the familiar music of my heartbeat.

* * *

**Aw man, it's over :(** **How'd everyone feel about the story over all!? I want specific details people :) **

**Alright, so I have this idea and I want to run it by you guys first before I do anything. I was _thinking _of _maybe_ basing my next story on Lilly and Lucas' relationship. I don't know, would everyone like me to do that? Please let me know it your reviews, it would be greatly aprecciated! **

**Lastly, I want to thank every single one of you that reviewed this story, it honestly would have gotten no where without your kind words and support! And Thank you a great amount to my regular reviewers! You guys reviewed almost every chapter and I know I count on you to tell me the truth! Thanks so much! Talk to you all soon:) **


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